


Souls of the Forgotten

by blackrose_17



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Supernatural, The Avengers (2012), Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Children of Earth Fix-It, Community: sncross_bigbang, F/F, F/M, I'm ignorining most of season eight of supernatural, Linda Tran is so s SHEILD Agent, M/M, also fixing the end of House of the Dead, mainly the Sam storyline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-22
Updated: 2013-06-22
Packaged: 2017-12-15 19:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam watched Dean and Castiel disappear right before his eyes; with the loss of Bobby he wasn't sure how he would survive or even how to begin to find a way to rescue them. Help comes in the most unlikely fashion when SHIELD suddenly offers to try and help Sam find the mysterious Doctor. Knowing they have their own agenda, Sam is desperate and accepts their offer any way.<br/>Meanwhile, Dean and Castiel find themselves struggling to survive in a living nightmare. For them, aid comes from a most unlikely pair of people: a fellow trapped soul, Ianto Jones and the vampire, Benny. Together the four of them must find a way to survive in their hellish prison but also find a way home.</p>
<p>One year later they are rescued but during that time much has changed for the brothers; is for better or worse? And how will they handle the biggest changes in their lives?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, Torchwood or the Avengers  
> Beta: RoyalLadyEmma  
> Art by: viviantanner

[ ](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/backrose_17/13091966/3650/3650_original.jpg)

**Chapter 1**

For a moment Sam forgot how to breathe as he stared at the spot where Dean and Castiel had stood just seconds before. His heart thundered loudly in his chest as he could literally taste the fear in his mouth. He had only just lost Bobby; Sam knew he couldn't survive losing Dean and Castiel as well.

"Sam, are you okay?" Kevin gently placed his hand on the rapidly paling Sam. He could feel his friend trembling beneath his hand and he squeezed Sam’s arm reassuringly.

"I don't... I know. They’re just... gone!" Sam managed to get out as he stared blankly at the now empty spot. His mind was reeling, trying to process what he’d just seen; he shook his head in disbelief. “They’re gone,” and his voice was a whisper.

Kevin had never seen someone so broken and lost as Sam looked right now and he was at a total loss of how to help him. At the same time however, he knew that they had to get out of there before someone stumbled upon them. "Come on, Sam; we have to get out of here before someone comes looking into what happened.” He took hold of Sam’s arm and tried to pull him along but Sam yanked himself free.

“No! What if they come back?” In his mind, Sam knew he was grasping at straws, but his heart didn’t want to listen to reason. “I need to stay…”

Kevin resisted the urge to slap some sense into Sam and instead went for the logical approach. “You won't be able to start looking for Dean and Castiel if you’re locked in jail for breaking into this place."

His shoulders slumped in defeat, Sam numbly allowed Kevin to lead him out of the building, doing his best to make sure that they avoided any lingering Leviathans who were no doubt out for revenge after their leader's demise.

*****  
A sigh of relief escaped Kevin's lips once they inside of the Impala. They had managed to avoid being spotted but from the completely shattered and broken look in Sam's eyes it was obvious that he wasn't going to be much use, which left Kevin very little choice. They were going to have asked his mom for help. _'I just hope mom doesn't freak out too badly,'_ Kevin silently prayed and as he glanced over at Sam, sitting motionless in to the passenger’s seat, he added, _'I just really hope you can help, mom, because I have no idea what to do.'_

*****

Linda Tran wasn't a fool. She knew that she was being watched, just as she knew that her neighbours weren't acting like themselves. _'And seriously, did they really think I wouldn't notice the lingering mailman and the woman endlessly watering her grass?'_ Linda fought the urge to roll her eyes. It was taking all of her rapidly dwindling self-control not to say screw you to the FBI agents who were consoling her with promises that they are doing everything they can to find her son. What she really wanted to do was have the hunters that SHIELD had on their payroll take out the demons that were not-so-subtly watching her place.

There was a little known fact about Linda Tran: she was a fully trained SHIELD agent and she was tired of acting like an innocent civilian.

 _'I'm not sure how much longer I can keep up this charade. It's my baby boy they're hunting!'_ When it came to her son, Linda did not like being forced to sit on the sideline and she was inches away from saying screw you to Fury's orders and taking care of the problems herself.

So when Kevin called sounding like a lost little boy she didn't give a damn about her cover or anything else; the _only_ thing that mattered was that her son needed her.

 _'Fury can just bite me if he has a problem with this!'_ Linda thought viciously to herself as she set up a meeting with her son and quickly packed her bag, shoving her belongings into it with more force than necessary. Slipping by her FBI watchers who were looking for her missing son was a piece of cake. Linda was almost ashamed for them at how easy it had been. She knew there was going to be backlash for her actions but as a mother she couldn't care less.

Her baby needed her and that was all that mattered to Linda.

******  
After hanging out with the Winchesters for only a short time, Kevin quickly caught on that it didn’t matter how the motel looked on the outside. All that mattered was a comfortable bed, well as comfortable as a well-used motel bed could be, and access to a hot shower.

It hadn’t taken much effort on Kevin's part to convince Sam to take advantage of the hot shower while he ran across the street to the burger joint. While he waited for their food to cook, Kevin made a quick call to his mom who immediately promised him that she was on his way despite all of Kevin’s protestations that he didn’t want his mom involved in any of the dangers that came with having the Winchesters in your life.

When Kevin arrived back in their room he wasn’t surprised to see Sam sitting on the edge of his bed dressed only in his jeans. He had a towel hanging loosely in his hands but he made no move to dry the droplets of water falling from his wet hair down his bare shoulders onto his back and chest.

“Sam? Would you like something to eat?” Kevin asked as he placed the bags of food and tray of drinks on the small table in the room. As he opened the bags, the enticing aroma of freshly grilled beef and hot French fries filled the small room.

It was on the tip of Sam’s tongue to tell Kevin that he wasn’t hungry but after seeing the worried look in the younger boy’s eyes Sam didn’t have the heart to tell him no. Mustering up a small smile, “Yeah, sure, I could eat something.” The relieved smile that appeared on Kevin’s face had Sam silently vowing that he would force down as much as he could even though he knew it would more than likely taste like ash. "Thanks," he accepted a burger and a cold drink.

Under Kevin’s watchful gaze Sam managed to get most of his burger down in his throat but he'd been right; every bite tasted like ash.

“I called my mom.”

Sam choked on the fry he was in the process of swallowing and after several moments of coughing and gagging and having Kevin hit him on the back, Sam managed to regain control. “Are you…” Sam’s voice was a harsh rasp and he gratefully accepted the drink that Kevin pressed into his hand. After sucking down the soothing ice-cold liquid, he continued. “Are you sure you want to do that? I know how badly you wanted to keep your mom safe and out of danger.”

“Yeah, I did and no, I still don’t, but I’m not ashamed to admit that we need her help.” Kevin shrugged his shoulders; he didn’t mind admitting that he was out of his depth with the current situation. “I have no idea what to do. You... you just seem so broken and I don’t know how to help you or how to find the guys. At least with us you’ll have a place to stay. With Bobby gone and Dean and Castiel who knows where it might be good for you to take a few days to relax and recover in a safe environment.” 

Realising that Kevin was speaking the truth, Sam wadded up his empty burger wrapper, tossed it over Kevin’s head into the bin and then looked at his friend. _‘Those should be illegal,’_ hethought with a small grin as he gazed into the hopeful puppy-dogs eyes that Kevin was flashing at him. “You know, that does sound nice and I would appreciate it, thank you.” He had to admit that Kevin did have a point; a few days of downtime might be good for him. It would give him a chance to clear his head and come up with a plan before they started looking for clues as to where Dean and Castiel ended up.

“Thank you too for everything you’ve done for me.” Sam knew he was a mess but he’d lost Dean one too many times in the past, and now without Bobby at his side for guidance and support, he didn’t know how or where he was going to begin to look for Dean. “I’d be lost without you.” He drained the last of his drink with a noisy slurp; “and hungry too!” he grinned cheekily.

Doing his best to ignore the blush that tinted his cheeks, Kevin shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, “It’s no big deal,” under his breath even though the faint smile on his lips proved just how happy he was that Sam had agreed with his suggestion.

*****  
Sleep didn’t come easily for Sam or Kevin that night but somehow they both managed to drift off into a restless slumber. Unfortunately, it was one that didn’t last long for Sam as nightmares soon began to invade his sleep. Despite his body's need for rest, his mind had other ideas and behind his eyelids horrible nightmares played out. Against his will, Sam watched in horror as Dean and Castiel were trapped in living hells mingled with his own memories of torture for a year at the hands of Michael and Lucifer.

It took all of Sam's willpower not to let his agonised screams of terror his lips as he fought desperately to free himself from the power of his own mind.

Heart beating furiously in his chest Sam shot straight up in bed his eyes wide with fury and glittering with unshed tears. He dared to take a glance at the second bed, afraid of what he might see in Kevin's eyes, but he was pleased to see Kevin sleeping soundly. _'At least one of us is getting some sleep.'_ Sam was grateful that he hadn't woken Kevin up; out of the two of them Sam knew that Kevin was the one who needed the most rest.

Quietly as he could Sam crawled out of bed and padded barefoot across the floor to the window; pulling back the curtain Sam looked up at the night sky full of twinkling stars. "I know I'm probably the last person you would ever expect to ask you for help and I really don't care if you don't like me. All I ask is that you please watch over Dean and Castiel for me," Sam prayed in a low voice. "Please…” and his voice threatened to break. Taking a deep breath, he continued; “just keep Dean and Castiel safe that's all I ask." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Disoriented by the sudden change of circumstance Dean stumbled, nearly falling to his knees, and his eyes swept over the bleak, grey landscape. "Well, doesn't this place just scream cheerful?" Dean muttered under his breath as he covered his eyes with his hand to try and see around the glare. No matter where he looked, everything was dull and lifeless, even the sky. "Cas, do you have any idea as to where we are?"

After a quick glance around at their new surroundings, a look of deep dread appeared in Castiel's eyes as he informed Dean in a solemn tone, "I believe we are in Purgatory, which is very bad."

Dean dropped his head into his hands. "Well  this just great! We're trapped in this over-the-top grey monstrosity and there's probably no pie around for miles."

While Dean stomped around ranting and raving about the lack of freshly baked, flakey-crusted, fruit-filled pie, interspersed with “how am I expected to survive out here without pie?” and “I’m gonna kick somebody’s ass!”, he didn't notice the glowing blue eyes watching them from the shadows.

It had been three years since he'd arrived in this living hell and three years since he'd seen another human, from his spot Ianto watched the man rant to himself and his friend. "Great! The first humans I see in three years and one of them just might be insane, that would be my luck."

The Rift that was now a part of him hummed to life as he felt the energy from a newly-active portal wash over him that energy was what continued to draw him to this desolate locale in the first place.

His companion chuckled from beside him. "I still don't think you were ever that sane to start with, Ianto," and he gave the displace Welshman a friendly poke in the ribs.

Ianto glared at his friend. "Oh yeah? Well I'd like to think that I'm saner than you, Benny."

Benny just shook his head with affectionate amusement for his young companion; gazing into those amazing blue eyes, he could see the myriad of emotions that Ianto always fought so hard to keep off of his face. In the three years since they’d met this was the first time another human had landed in Purgatory. "The spike in energy means that others are going to be drawn to this place; we better collect crazy-boy and his friend before they arrive."

Ianto nodded his head in agreement; so far his skin wasn't tingling alerting him to approaching dangers. "You better let me do the talking, though and please try not to scare our guests."

Benny gave Ianto one of his infamous fanged grins. "I make no promises, my human friend!" he called over his shoulder as he started making his way over to the newcomers.

Ianto rolled his eyes and followed after his friend all the while muttering under his breath, "And you say _I'm_ the crazy one?"

"Someone is approaching," Castiel murmured as he moved to stand protectively in front of Dean.

"Great, that would be the welcoming committee." Dean's hand automatically flew to his jacket and then he cursed soundly as his hand came up empty. "Well, let's hope they're friendly or really slow because I'm unarmed."

Castiel and Dean kept their guards up as they watched two figures slide down the small hill and Dean's eyebrow rose in amused surprise as he realised one of the men was wearing what looked to be suit pants and a blood-red silk shirt, both of which had clearly seen better days. _'Who gets trapped in a place like this wearing a suit?'_ Dean couldn't help wonder to himself.

Dean’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed as the two men came to a stop in front of him and Castiel. A strong part of Dean wanted to shove the angel behind him, to keep him safe from harm at all costs. "So who the hell are you two? And more importantly, where in the world are we?" Dean demanded with all the subtly he possessed.

Castiel shook his head not at all surprised at Dean's blunt tone and questions. Stepping forward, he said, "I am Castiel and this is my friend, Dean Winchester, and what he _meant_ to say was could you please tell us where we are and how we may get home?"

Both Ianto and Benny's eyebrows rose with alarmed surprise as they learned the newcomers’ names and brief looks of worry flickered across both of their faces before disappearing beneath two calm and cool masks. "I'm Ianto Jones, this is my friend, Benny, and you're in Purgatory. As for a way home, I've been looking for one for the past three years and have yet to find it," Ianto explained. His voice trailed off in the end as he recalled his own multiple failures at trying to find a way home. Despite his best efforts and even with the power of the Rift flowing through him escape seemed impossible.

"Three years?!" Dean could hardly believe his ears. He couldn't understand how anyone could have survived in such a horrible place for so long; after only a few minutes of being here Dean was itching to be out of this new hell. Suddenly it dawned on him that this was where the monsters he helped vanquish ended up and that knowledge sent chills up and down his spine and turned his blood to ice.

Unaware of Dean's change of mood, Castiel was silent as he studied Ianto and the strange energy that seemed to wrap around him like a blanket. _'I never thought he would have ended up here! I wonder why Balthazar hasn't freed him yet?'_ It wasn't like his brother to let a charge go unprotected for so long and especially not one tied so closely to the Lady of Time herself.

"Are you hard of hearing? That is what he said," Benny growled out as he took a protective stance in front of Ianto, his eyes warning them to be careful with their questions. He knew the full story of how Ianto ended up in this place and he refused to let these two bully the tale out of his friend.

Dean recognized the look in Benny's eyes; he had the same look in his own eyes when he was protecting Sam from anyone who dared to ask about his time in the pit. "Hey, I didn't mean to pry! I just have mad respect for anyone who can survive this place for three years and manage to stay sane."

Benny relaxed slightly as a playful grin appeared on his face. "Well, now him being _sane_ is a whole other story."

Rolling his eyes with mock exasperation, Ianto shook his head. "As much fun as it would be to stay here and debate whether or not I'm still sane, your arrival will soon draw the wrong kind of attention and you don't want to be around when the others arrive."

As if waiting for Ianto's words an eerie howl sounded off in the distance, one that was quickly followed by another and then another until it sounded as though there was a pack of wild animals baying in unison.

"I think that is a very wise idea," Castiel was quick to agree. Out in the open was not a very safe place for them to be and he was all too aware that it wouldn’t take long for Dean to be recognized as the hunter who had put many of them in this place.

Dean wasn't a fool either; he realised just how valuable a prize he and Castiel would be once it became known that they were in Purgatory. “Sounds like a plan to me. We can save the girl-talk for another time.”

A confused look came over Castiel’s face as he pointed out a very obvious fact to the amusement of Ianto and Benny and the exasperation to Dean, “We are not women so why would we engage in girl talk?”

Dean shook his head as he clapped Castiel on the shoulder, “It’s a figure of speech, man.”

Ianto knew that Purgatory had just gotten a little more interesting. “You can explain the concept to Castiel later; now it's time to get moving.” He cautioned as he pulled out a very sharp and wicked looking knife. "That pack's getting closer every minute we delay."

Dean’s eyebrow rose even higher as Benny pulled out an identical looking blade. _‘I have got to get one of those for myself!’_  But now was not the time to ask where one could get an knife like that; right now was the time for running. With a wave of his hand Dean looked at Ianto and Benny, “Lead on.”

With a nod of his head Ianto took point. “Stick close and keep your eyes open; they're fast and cunning, and if you’re not careful you’ll be dead before you even know what hit you,” the Welshman warned.

_‘Well doesn’t that just sound lovely?’_ Dean snarked to himself. This place just got better and better. _‘I hope you’re okay, Sammy, and looking for a way to get us out of here.’_ Dean prayed that his baby brother and Kevin had managed to get safely away from the remaining Leviathans and that they had already started figuring out a way to find them. Unfortunately, Dean had to admit that that task would be a lot harder now that Bobby was gone.

*****  
For the next few days Sam seemed to live in a numb daze. The world continued on around him but ever since that first night Sam hadn’t lifted his eyes off of his laptop screen as he searched endlessly through every site he could think of trying to find out where Dean and Castiel could have ended up. So far every possible lead turned out to be a dead end and Sam was slowly beginning to run out of ideas. _‘I need you, Bobby, and your wisdom because I’m at a loss of where to look for you now and if you’re where I’m beginning to think you are, then I have no idea how to help you.’_

Given the negative results of his intensive internet search, Sam feared that Dean and Castiel were in Purgatory, the home where all monsters, vampires, werewolves and everything else in-between ended up. If that was indeed the case, then Sam had no idea how to get them out. _‘I need help from someone who knows about portals.’_

Sam had a vague idea of two people who probably knew more than a little something about portals, Jane Foster and Erik Selvig. They’d met the couple a year ago in a small New Mexico town when he and Dean had investigated rumours of residents encountering Norse Gods. Jane and Erik had discovered that being involved was right up their alley and after a lot of digging the four intrepid investigators had discovered the truth about the purported gods.

Unfortunately, Sam soon learned that it would be impossible to seek them out for help; Jane Foster and Erik Selvig had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

There was another option, one that had come to Sam earlier in the day while he was standing in the shower, letting the silence, solitude and water wash over him. For years hunters had been stumbling across a strange man calling himself only the Doctor. Not much was known about him but there was always a common theme to the sightings; he traveled in a blue 1960 British police box and after appearing to accidentally stumble into the problem always managed to save the day even when there looked to be no hope for success.

Even Bobby had met a few times and while most people praised the Time Lord for preventing sure catastrophe, he called the Doctor a ‘bumbling igit with questionable fashion sense.’ It was a statement which had Dean raising a questioning eyebrow and looking at Bobby’s own flannel outfit; luckily Dean had enough sense and managed to keep his own fashion comments to himself.

_‘If only I could find him or he could find me!’_ Sam was sure this Doctor person could be the answer to his prayers but from everything he’d been able to learn, it was next to impossible to get in contact with him and no one ever knew when he was going to show up. Apparently, the man just did as he pleased when he pleased.

A series of knocks on the door pulled Sam from his thoughts and he blinked in surprise. “Is that your mom?” he asked Kevin who had jumped up immediately and was peering through the curtain.

“Kevin Tran, you will open this door right now! You are already in so much trouble, young man, don’t make it worse by keeping me waiting!” Linda Tran didn’t need to raise her voice to be heard through the wooden door; her anger made her words very clear.

“That would be her,” Kevin gulped audibly as he glanced wide-eyed and hopeful at Sam, “maybe you should answer it?”

"Not on your life!" Sam raised an eyebrow and raised his hands in protest. “No, I don’t think so. I’m willing to face a lot of things but even I won’t get in the way of an angry and protective parent and their offspring. You’re on your own, buddy.” Sam might not always listen to it but he did have a sensible side and it was screaming at him to stay out of the way.

Swallowing hard Kevin slowly moved towards the door as if he was walking towards a death sentence and he wasn’t surprised to discover that his hands were shaking as he lifted them towards the doorknob. Hoping for a last second reprieve, Kevin glanced back at Sam, his eyes pleading with his friend.

Sam couldn’t help but shake his head and the amusement that he was feeling was clear in his voice, “Kevin, it’s just your mom, for Pete's sake! It’s not like she’s a horde of demons waiting to rip you apart.”

“No, they'd be a lot less scary,” Kevin muttered under his breath as he finally found the courage to turn the doorknob and open the door.

Linda had broken all local speed laws in getting to Kevin and she knew that she was more than likely going to be on the receiving end of one of Fury's lectures but it would be one that she would happily tell him to go to hell for. _'Nothing gets between a mother and her child.'_ Now, as she stared at her son and saw that he was all right, she didn’t care what fallout was waiting for her after her actions. All that mattered was her baby was safe and in one piece.

“Don’t you _ever_ scary me like that again!” Linda warned firecely before pulling her son into a tight hug.

Gratefully, Kevin melted into the hug. “I’m all right, mom. I’m safe and sound.”

Watching the touching family reunion Sam could feel himself getting a little choked up and he desperately wished that Dean or Bobby were there with him. _‘I can’t do anything about Bobby but I will not rest until I find you both and bring you home,’_ Sam vowed silently to himself. No matter what, he would find a way to save his brother and their angel.

Pulling away from his mom Kevin looked over his shoulder. “Mom, this is my friend, Sam Winchester.”

Taking that as his cue Sam moved towards them holding out his hand in friendship and flashing her his most winning smile. “Hello, Mrs Tran, it’s nice to meet you.”

Linda raked her eyes up and down Sam and let out a distinctly disapproving sound. “You’re far too skinny, young man. You look like you could use a good home-cooked meal which is why you will be coming home with Kevin and me.” Linda declared and the look on her face dared him to try and say no.

It had been a very long time since Sam had anything close to a home-cooked meal. “That sounds really nice, Mrs Tran, but I really have something important to do that needs all my attention.” He returned to the desk and his always working laptop.

“You mean looking for a way to find and rescue your brother and your angel from wherever they ended up after defeating the Leviathan known as Dick Roman?” Linda asked in an ever-so-causal tone.

Kevin and Sam just stared at her for a moment. “How do you know about that?” Kevin demanded before paling and yanking himself out of her arms only to dash across the room and hide behind Sam’s taller form. “She’s a demon! Douse her in holy water and send her back to hell!” Kevin cried in a panic.

Sam rolled his eyes as he pulled his cowardly friend out from behind him. “I really doubt she’s a demon, Kevin; if she was I’d already be dead and you’d be in their clutches,” he pointed out in a calm, rational tone.

Linda crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her son. “I am not a demon. And you even _think_ of dousing me with holy water or trying any of your other tricks on me or you will both be _very_ sorry,” Linda warned in a tone that only parents could create and she was inordinately pleased when she saw both Sam and Kevin gulp and quickly nod their heads in agreement. Her stern gaze softened as she studied Sam. “I know you don’t have any reason to trust me or believe me when I say I am here to help you, but I’d like to change that. What do you know about SHIELD?”

Sam blinked in surprise; that was a name he hadn’t heard in a while. Bobby had worked with them a few times but quite annoyingly, he couldn’t go into the details of their activities. He kept saying something about ‘the blasted government and their secrets’ every time he or Dean would ask Bobby about his work with them. “Bobby has mentioned them from time to time but he’s never really given us a whole lot of information.”

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to try and vanquish her, Linda stepped further into the small motel room and crossed the distance between her and Sam. Resting her hand on his arm, she looked him straight in the eye. “Bobby was a good man and he will be greatly missed. I can’t tell you much right now but SHIELD has been keeping a close eye on you and your brother; we know how many times you’ve saved the world just as we know what you’ve had to sacrifice in your work on Earth’s behalf. We know full well how much you’ve lost and how much you’ve suffered. You have our gratitude for all your efforts.”

“Thank you,” Sam humbly inclined his head; oh, how he wished his brother were there to hear Linda’s words.

“Now, back to business.” Linda cleared her throat. “We may be able to help you in finding a way to rescue your brother and angel.”

At this point, knowing all his efforts had been useless, Sam knew he didn’t have anything left to lose. “Bobby may not have liked you all but he did trust one agent as much as Bobby could trust someone who wasn’t family, an Agent Phil Coulson. If you can arrange for me to meet with him I’d be willing to listen to what you have to say.” 

If Linda was hurt by his unwillingness to talk to her she didn’t show it. “That sounds reasonable; once we get to a SHIELD safe house I will do my best to get in contact with Agent Coulson,” Linda promised.

“Then I would like to take you up on your offer of a home-cooked meal.” Sam smiled at her with boyish charm.

Smiling brightly, Linda clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! Now gather your stuff and let’s get out of this _charming_ little place.” It took all of Linda’s willpower not to wrinkle her nose as she looked around the less-than-sanitary room and she fought the urge not to go to the nearest store and pick up cleaning supplies and give this room a much-needed cleaning.

Kevin recognized the look in his mother’s eyes and knew she was moments away from walking into the front office and listing all the places that sell cleaning supplies nearby. “We better hurry up before she robs a store of its cleaning supplies or mugs an old lady,” Kevin whispered to Sam.

It was on the tip of Sam’s tongue to tell Kevin he was crazy but then he saw the look in Linda’s eyes as she glared distastefully at a spot on the wall and he had to wonder how close to the truth Kevin had been with that statement.

It didn’t taken Sam and Kevin long to pack up their meagre belongings, with the steadily growing louder mutters under Linda’s breath urging them on faster. They were afraid that she might take over and Sam wasn’t about to have a woman he didn’t know touching his underwear.

Once their bags were packed and they’d double-checked the room for any forgotten items, Linda nodded her head with satisfaction. “Good, now we can get out of this fleabag of a dump. I’ll have to make sure to disinfect all your clothes the moment we’re at the safe house,” Linda muttered under her breath as she shepherded both Kevin and Sam out of the room and over to both cars. “Kevin, you’ll ride with Sam. Oh and Sam?” She waited until Sam was looking at her, “try and keep up, dear.”

Shaking his head as he loaded their gear into the car boot, Sam chuckled under his breath. _‘I think Dean would like you and I can’t wait for you two to meet.’_ Sam refused to give voice to the negative little voice in the back of his head whispering that he might never see Dean or Castiel again. That kind of thinking just wouldn’t do him any good.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

“Can someone please tell me where in the hell Agent Tran is?”

A delightful smile graced Tony’s face as Fury’s aggravated voice greeted him the moment he stepped foot onto the command centre of the Helicarrier. It always made his day brighter when Fury was in a snit. “So who managed to piss of old One-Eye today?”

Phil gave him his patented ‘be silent and I won’t be forced to hurt you’ look mixed with his ‘you’re not as funny as you think you are’ look. Tony felt special that he had already earned those looks after only being there for a few seconds. It was always the little things that got him through the day.

Cheerfully brushing off the looks that he was getting, Tony pulled out a chair, placed his feet up on the table and crossed his ankles. “So who’s this Agent Tran?” Tony pointed his fingers at a growling Fury; “Because anyone who can get under Fury’s skin like that would make an excellent addition to my company.”

“Ooh, I’ll tell him!”

Phil fought the urge to rub his forehead as Clint suddenly dropped down from the air vent. “What have I told you about hanging in the air ducts?” he demanded from a virtuous-looking Clint.

Clint blinked innocently at his handler/boyfriend. “Only do so when I’m stalking you or bored,” he offered up with an impish smile. He looked as though he was going to say something else but the look on Phil’s face seemed to silence his next thought.

“You taught that look to Pepper, didn’t you?!” an outraged Tony declared. He recognized the look on Phil’s face as one he’d seen on his ex-girlfriend’s face more than a few times when he had done or said something stupid.

“Miss Potts already had it down,” Phil causally informed Tony earning a scowl from the other man. “I just gave her a few pointers on perfecting it.”

“Wow!” Clint snorted derisively. “First she takes advice from Phil about being able to silence you with a single look and now she’s dating Natasha! I gotta say, Pepper is turning into one deadly and scary woman,” he commented and then he shivered at the idea of a Phil/Natasha Mini-Me roaming the world.

“Pepper was already scary enough without any help,” Tony added lightly. “Now, are you going to answer my question? Who is Agent Tran and why Fury’s so worked up over his or her mysterious disappearance?” Tony demanded trying to get the conversation back on track.

“Agent Linda Tran, whose son is involved with a few hunters we’ve had our eye on, went AWOL a few days ago after getting a message from her son and no one has seen her since.” A forceful voice answered Tony’s demand for information.

Tony blinked at Fury as the director of SHIELD glared at him. _‘Oh, shit!’_

“Does that sufficiently answer your questions, Mr Stark?”

Tony thought about it for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. “Not really. Next question, what are hunters and how are they involved with SHIELD?”

Fury deliberately turned his back on Tony and focused his attention on Phil, effectively ignoring the inquisitive young man, which Tony thought was rather rude. “Brief the Avengers on everything we have about hunters and the Winchester’s, I have a feeling that they are somehow involved.” Fury turned on his heel and stalked off, his coat billowing out dramatically behind him.

“Why do I get the feeling that these Winchesters annoy our dear director more than we do?” There was a distinct pout on Tony's face as he asked in a hurt tone and Clint even threw in his dreaded puppy-dog eyes, aimed in Phil's direction.

Coulson found himself fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the hurt looks both men were giving him. “I very much doubt that, given the fact that Director Fury hasn’t met the Winchesters just yet and even when he does meet them I sincerely doubt they'll be able to annoy him _half_ as much as you two do.”

“Aww, Coulson, you say the nicest things and if I didn’t think Legolas would put an arrow in my back I would so kiss you right now.” Tony coyly batted his eyes at Coulson.

A low growl escaped Clint’s lips as he moved closer to Phil’s side, silently staking his claim and a smirk graced Tony’s lips; it was so easy to rile Clint up when it came to Coulson. Tony had figured it out rather early on that Clint thought there might be a little something brewing between the him and Phil, and since then, Clint went out of his way to make sure that Coulson was never alone with Tony for too long. It was something that never failed to amuse Tony and he used every opportunity to toy with Clint.

"You said their names were Winchester, right?" Tony asked breaking up what would be Phil and Clint's version of a love fest.

Within a half-a-second Coulson had speared Tony with a look that would have a lesser man shaking in his boots. "You will _not_ begin searching for them, do I make myself clear? They live extremely off the grid and the only thing you may find out about them is their wanted files within the FBI."

"They're wanted by the FBI?" Tony liked these guys more and more. "Really? That's cool."

"Everything will be explained at the meeting later today; until then please refrain from getting any further on the Director’s already bad side," Coulson warned Tony.

_'Yeah, like that's going to happen,'_ Tony thought to himself with a snort. Whistling tunelessly under his breath, he waited until Coulson and Clint headed off to do whatever it was that super-secret agents and bored assassins did before turning on his heel and heading off in the other direction. Tony had some digging to do.

******  
It didn't take long for Tony to find everything he could on Dean and Sam Winchester and after reading it all, he decided that in his humble opinion they’d had an even crappier childhood than he did. As for their chosen profession he had only one thing to say, "Huh, guess I better make sure my old man isn't haunting my ass."

Tony had to admit that he was looking forward to seeing how the likes of Sam and Dean would fit in with SHIELD. "I wonder how easy they are to rile up?" Oh yes, he was definitely going to have fun playing with his new toys.

******  
 _Somewhere in time and space_

The timelines that had been in constant flux since the 456 came to steal away the children of Earth as well as time of the doomed apocalypse that the angels and demons longed for were finally beginning to right themselves. Something or someone had intentionally interfered with the natural and intended progression of time, for neither of those events were ever supposed to have happened.

In fact, the angel Castiel going rogue and unleashing the Leviathans on an unsuspecting populace thus allowing Seriath to gain a foothold in this world should never have happened either. Whomever or whatever had interfered with the proper unwinding of time was definitely a powerful foe indeed.

Floating in the vast nothingness of the vortex, the TARDIS mourned for those she had watched over for so long and whom she’d come to care for as if they were her own children as they faced yet another challenge. Their shared pain called out to her and she longed to comfort their hurting hearts and sooth away their fears but unfortunately, this was one time when she absolutely could not interfere. Together her children were on an important individual journey that they each had to take in order to grow and reach their specific destinies.

_'One more year, my dear ones, and then you will all find your way back to one another, I promise. Just hold on a little longer.'_

******  
Dean's legs ached like they had never ached before and it felt like they had been walking for hours. "How much farther do we have to go? And don't you people ever take a break?" He cringed when he realised that he sounded exactly like a whiney child.

Benny shot Dean a smirk over his shoulder. "Tiring out already, kid? I thought the big bad hunters were made of tougher stuff." He snorted with amusement. “Guess that’s just a vicious rumour, huh?”

Ianto shook his head. "I do not believe it's wise to tease the man who knows all the different ways to kill you," he pointed out helpfully.

Benny flashed Ianto a fanged grin. “I’ll take my chances with our baby hunter. He sounds pretty harmless to me!"

Dean’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at Benny’s back. “Watch who you’re calling a baby hunter, I’ve staked more of you than I care to count, so keep your fangs to yourself and we won’t have a problem.”

Castiel glanced between Dean and Benny with a quizzical look in his eyes. “Is this a show of alpha male stupidly that women usually complain about?” The angel turned to Ianto for answers; even with all the time he’d spent amongst humans, he still found many of their interactions bewildering and he was still learning about their behaviours.

Looking over his shoulder the Welshman smiled back at the confused looking angel, “Why yes it is. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot of this particular behaviour in the future.” Ianto felt a painful tug at his heart as he tried not to let Dean and Benny’s bickering remind him of two other males bucking heads; it felt like a lifetime ago. Shaking his head Ianto forced those memories back into the deepest parts of his mind and heart where they couldn’t hurt him anymore – well, not quite so much.

Plastering a benign smile on his face, Ianto took pity on the tired newcomer. “We’re nearly there; only a little longer and then you can rest.”

_‘Thank goodness.’_  Dean fought the urge to cheer and decided to find out more about their mysterious Welshman, “So how long have you been here for?” Dean was getting angsty after only being trapped here after a few hours he didn’t even want to begin to image how long Ianto’s been here.

_‘Thank goodness!’_  Dean fought the urge to cheer out loud and decided instead to find out more about their mysterious Welshman. “So how long have you been here for?” Dean was getting angsty after only being trapped here after a few hours; he didn’t even want to begin to image how long Ianto’s been here.

Benny stopped in his tracks and stared at Dean in shock; his mouth hung open which made his fangs clearly visible. “Are you really that stupid?” he asked. “What did the man tell you not more than an hour ago?”

“Ignore the vampire.” Ianto shot Benny a glare before turning back to Dean. “About three years.”

Dean also came to a halt as he stared at Ianto in shock. “Dude, how are you still sane?” He breathed the words out reverently.

Ianto shrugged his shoulders as he looked up at the grey sky and considered his answer. “Honestly? I’m not sure that I _am_ still sane.”

_‘Three years? That is so wrong!’_ This piece of news greatly worried Castiel. The power of the Rift that poured off of Ianto made him a very tempting target to all the supernatural beings trapped in Purgatory, and Castiel was quite worried that Ianto’s guardian angel hadn’t already gotten him out of there. Surely he was aware of the imminent danger Ianto faced at every turn? _‘Unless the war has hidden Ianto from his guardian’s sight;’_ that thought worried Castiel even more. It was not safe for Ianto to be unguarded because if Crowley learned that there was someone with the power of time running through him within easy reach, the King of Hell would stop at _nothing_ to possess and control him.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up here?” Castiel inquired as casually as possible; he needed as much information as he could get if he had any chance of getting them out of Purgatory alive.

A tsunami of powerful emotions crashed over Ianto as he thought back to how he’d arrived in Purgatory. "A creature known as Seriath didn't like the fact that I closed the Rift and stopped her plans for gaining entrance to the mortal world. As punishment she cast my soul into Purgatory. I was lucky though, my training and time with Torchwood gave me the skills I need to survive this place. On the other hand, it was Lady Luck led me to Benny and I can’t think of anyone better to watch my back.” Ianto smiled fondly at Benny and the vampire returned the grin.

“I got your back, your front and all the bits in between!” Benny laughed.

Ianto’s cheery façade didn’t fool the young hunter for a moment and Dean looked at the broken man before him with respect shining clearly in his eyes. "Dude, I know all about sacrificing yourself for the world."

"Did you do it as you lay dying in your lover’s arms while telling him that you love him only to get ‘don't’ in return?" The pure pain of Jack's final rejection still lingered in Ianto’s voice.

Dean winced sympathetically _; 'that betrayal had to hurt even more than dying.'_ Oh sure, he and Sam had their falling outs but they always made sure they each knew how much they still cared for and loved one another. "No, Ianto, I can’t and I can't even begin to image how much that hurt. I'm sorry."

Ianto’s smile was a mixture of hurt, sadness and resigned acceptance. "Thank you, it’s a moment I wish I could forget. When I first arrived here I didn’t give a damn about survival or anything else but the crushing pain in my chest caused by the man I love being incapable of saying those three little words back to me in my last moment.”

The young Welshman had to pause for a moment to collect himself as the pain of rejection once again flared brightly. “I had a death wish and kept taking unnecessary chances. It wasn’t until I met Benny and he slapped some sense back into me and forced me to see that my life was still worth living.”

Curious about the details of that encounter, Dean turned his gaze to Benny. “And how did you do that?” He had been on his own road to self-destruction on more than one occasion and he knew it wasn’t an easy path to be saved from.

A fond look appeared on Benny’s face as he studied Ianto. “At first, I was gonna umm… have him for… you know… dinner, but he was just so calm and accepting of the whole thing that I ended up talking to him instead. I mean, where’s the fun in biting someone who didn’t care whether they lived or died? He shared his story with me and afterwards, I calmly reminded him that he _needed_ to survive so he could find a way out of this place. I figured that way, once he’s back in the human world, he can track down this Jack of his and give him a nice firm punch right in the face and then make him work to regain Ianto’s heart.”

“Actually what he said was I should kick Jack right in the bollocks, but when I explained that those were a few of my favourite body parts, we decided a punch in the nose would work just as well.” Ianto clarified. “Jack’s quite vain, you see, so a broken nose and two black eyes are effective threats.”

Dean snorted with laughter and even Castiel smiled gently.

Neither Ianto nor Benny brought up the other more private part of their relationship. After nearly a year without feeling a single gentle touch Ianto Jones was touch-starved and Benny remembered what that was like. After being turned, he’d spent years missing the loving caress of his still-mortal wife, so he’d done the only thing he could think of to help the young man. He had been as gentle as he could be during their first coupling and later  as they laid together, he’d carefully ignored the tears that Ianto quietly shed into his pillow.

Both men knew their relationship would never truly turn romantic; Ianto’s heart would most likely always belong to Jack Harkness and Benny felt nothing but strong friendship for Ianto. Still, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t cheerfully rip Jack apart for all the needless hurt he’d caused his friend.

A thoughtful look appeared on Dean’s face. “Wise advice, don’t forget to make this Jack fellow beg.”

“Oh, trust me, Jack _will_ be begging by the time I’m done with him.” Ianto also knew that unless Jack had taken up with Gwen during his absence, he would quickly forgive Jack. _‘Even if he didn’t mean the words he said in the House of the Dead.’_ Ianto so desperately wanted to believe that Jack meant those three little words and that he really was loved by the immortal captain.

A serious of distant howls brought Ianto out of his memories and back to the present. “This talk will have to wait a little longer; it’s time to get our arse in gear.”

No one dared to argue with Ianto’s suggestion and the four of them quickly picked up the pace not wanting to be caught by whatever was chasing them.

_‘Sammy, I pray that you’re putting that big brain of yours to work and you’re trying to figure out a way_ _of getting us out of this nightmare,’_ Dean silently thought as he picked up his pace. _‘But please keep yourself safe, little brother.’_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Coulson surveyed the team around him. “So, are there any questions?” Coulson wasn’t at all surprised when Tony’s hand was the only one that shot right up in the air. “Yes, Tony?” he asked in bland tone.

Tony leaned forward in his chair with his hands propping up his chin and a wild grin on his face, “So let me see if I got this right; vampires, ghosts, witches, werewolves, actually anything that goes bump in the night or was featured in scary stories told around a campfire, you’re saying they are _real_?”

“Yes,” Coulson said in his ‘that is the stupidest question you could have ever asked’ tone of voice, one that Tony, well, all the Avengers except for Natasha, got all the time.

Steve had a frown on his face as he studied the very detailed files of Dean and Sam Winchester. “Are all hunters this young?”

Coulson wasn’t at all surprised that that was Steve’s question. “Sadly yes, they are, sometimes they are even younger.” For a moment a hush fell over the room as the group of heroes looked at the photos of the two brothers and they realised just how young some of these hunters were to be facing off against such horrors.

“From what I understand hunting is usually a family affair, often passed down from father to son, and if one member of a family is in the business then you can bet the rest of their families are involved as well.”

“I have another question,” Tony piped up trying to get his mind off the idea of _children_ fighting such monsters. “Heaven and Hell are real and the angels and demons wanted to start the apocalypse, so why weren’t _we_ informed? The end of the world is something I would like to know about cos it would be really helpful in planning my day.”

“I will _personally_ make sure that during the next apocalypse you receive sufficient warning,” Coulson promised Tony in an deeply sarcastic tone.

A suitably pleased grin settled itself onto Tony’s face as he sat back in his chair. “That’s all I ask, Agent.”

Hiding his intense irritation at Tony’s childish antics, Coulson glanced around the table once again. “Are there any more questions?” When no one said anything Coulson nodded his head. “Very well, please take the time to read and study the Winchester’s files, but remember we do not know for sure that Agent Tran is with them or that she’s bringing them in. As of right now this is _only_ a precaution.”

Having been recruited at the same time as Linda, Coulson knew that if she was with one or both of the Winchesters then SHIELD would not be hearing from her until she or they were ready. Linda was a ferocious mama bear when she was protecting one of her injured cubs. _‘I do hope that she and Fury will not be getting into another yelling match.’_ Coulson would like to avoid that headache if he could; he already had enough problems when dealing with the Avengers and more specifically, Tony.

******  
 _One week later_

“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” Kevin asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

Sam smiled at the young man; they had become rather close over the last week, and while they could never replace Dean, Bobby and Castiel, both Kevin and Linda had become family to him as well. “Yes, I’m sure,” he answered calmly; he knew that nerves were the only reason Kevin kept repeating himself. “If Dean and Cas are trapped in Purgatory then they are in real danger and I can’t leave them to suffer in that hell any longer. SHIELD may very well be my only hope of finding a way to either get them home or help me to find this Doctor fellow. I have to try.”

Kevin let out a small huff of exasperation; he had come to know Sam pretty well and he’d discovered that the hunter was just as stubborn as his own mother. “All right, but if they try anything funny we sic my mom on them.”

Linda graced Sam with an almost scary smile. “Don’t worry; if anyone tries to mess with you _I’ll_ deal with them personally.”

At that moment Sam realised that Linda Tran was far more dangerous than any monster, demon or rogue angel out there and he was inordinately glad that she was one of the good guys. “Remind me to stay on your good side, you’re one scary woman.”

Reaching out, Linda gently patted Sam on his cheek. “If you’re as smart as I think you are then you won’t need reminding.”

Sam and Kevin watched as she headed out of the safe house. “Your mom is the scariest woman alive, you know that, right?” Sam murmured to his friend when she was out of earshot.

“Try growing up with her, dude; she knows all and sees all.” Kevin shuddered lightly as he recalled how his mother always seemed to know when he was up to no good. "I couldn't get away with anything when I was a kid!"

“Well at least you survived.” Sam shook his head sympathetically as he clapped Kevin on his shoulder. “You know, I think even Crowley will think twice about attacking you if he finds out he has to go through your mother.”

Kevin brightened considerably. “Hey! I never thought of that. Thanks, Sam.”

Nodding his head Sam smiled at the young man he was starting to see as a younger brother. “No problem, and don’t forget how lucky you are to have grown up with such an amazing mom.” Watching the Tran family had made the pain of growing up without a mother resurface and Sam wished with all his heart that he and Dean could have had a life like that. Once again Sam found himself wondering how their lives would have turned out if he and Dean had been raised in a normal family with a normal childhood.

Unfortunately, those dreams were growing harder and harder to see and Sam was being forced to realise and accept that a normal life would never be for him.

“You know mom has a big enough heart for everyone and she’s always willing to take in strays.” Kevin’s voice startled Sam out of his thoughts and as Sam looked at him with his brows furrowed in confusion, Kevin decided he needed to clarify what he meant. “No matter what happens you will have a home here with us.”

A home was something that he had with Dean and Bobby and as Sam looked over Kevin’s shoulder, he saw Linda standing in the doorway smiling at them both. “My son speaks the truth; you do have a home here with us, remember that, Sam.”

Warmth blossomed in Sam’s chest and some of the pain he’d been carrying since Dean and Castiel went missing loosened just a little; he wasn’t as alone as he had feared. “Thank you, both of you. You have no idea what that means to me.” To his utter consternation, Sam suddenly felt tears choke his throat and he started to cough a little to cover it up.

“If you’re ready then we’d better get going. We have a long drive ahead of us and Coulson will be waiting for us,” Linda reminded them gently. She knew better than to push Sam if he wasn’t quite ready just yet.

Sam took a deep breath; he knew that this was the first step in finding a way to rescue Dean and Castiel. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

Without saying anything Kevin and Linda took up flanking positions on either side of Sam and Linda looped her arm through that of the young hunter. “Don’t worry, I have your back,” she whispered softly so only Sam could hear.

Again a warm feeling spread through Sam’s heart. His brother and good friend may be missing and the man he loved like a father was no longer in this world but he was not as alone as he had first thought. Truth be told, he was kind of pleased that he had begun to find a new extension of his weird little family with the Tran’s.

******  
To say that the Avengers were curious was a true understatement of the facts. When they learned that Agent Tran was returning and that she was bringing one of the Winchester boys with her somehow they all miraculously managed to have business on the Helicarrier. Even though the meeting was strictly between Nick Fury, Phil Coulson and the one Winchester boy, the crowds continued to gather despite knowing that they weren’t going to be allowed anywhere near the mysterious hunter. Because like yeah, _that_ was really going to happen.

Natasha had been the team member who gained the information that Linda had arrived with her son and the youngest Winchester, Sam. Not wanting to miss a thing, Clint hadn’t wasted any time and immediately took to the air ducts above Fury’s office with his comm on. Once he was in place, he quietly began relaying everything he heard.

_Inside Fury’s office_

From the moment the two men met Sam found himself liking Phil Coulson and he could easily understand why Bobby trusted and liked this man. Plus Linda had shown him CCTV footage of the man taking out a pair of armed robbers with nothing but a bag of flour, a courageous feat which was both impressive and a little frightening.

From his seat at the head of the conference table, Coulson quietly studied the young man before him; he found it quite disturbing that someone so young had to have eyes so old. “I heard about Bobby and I’m very sorry for your loss; he was a good man. He will be greatly missed.” Coulson himself was going to miss the gruff hunter tremendously; the man had been a good and trusted friend.

A sad smile graced Sam’s face. “Thank you. Bobby was one of a kind. I have to say that you’re the only one from SHIELD he liked or complained the least about, which is considered high honours in Bobby speak.”

“Thank you for telling me that; I’m proud to have been considered a friend of Bobby’s. He spoke highly of you and your brother and even threatened a fate worse than death if anyone of us brought harm to you, which is why we never sought you or your brother out.” Coulson thought it was best to explain why an offer to work for SHIELD had never given to them before.

A raised eyebrow from Sam and the knowing look in his eyes showed that he had an idea that was the case. “I’m not surprised, actually. Bobby was very protective of us. If I didn’t need your help in finding my brother and friend I might have never taken you up on your offer.” He directed this last at the man standing silently in the corner.

Nick Fury studied the young man before him; he had to admit that he was impressed with Sam’s ability to hold his ground and not cower beneath his glare like so many others, including trained SHIELD agents, did when faced with his penetrating stare. "Mr Winchester, you and your brother have been an of interest to SHIELD for some time now. We know everything about you and your fellow hunters and we would like to help you. We have geniuses like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner working for us and I believe they will be your best bet in finding your brother.”

“Thank you, sir,” Sam answered gratefully.

“In return, I want you to train the Avengers in the ways of hunting because sooner or later these idiots will stumble onto a demon or a vampire nest, or they’ll end up tangling with a pack of shifters or have to deal with a ghost. Of course knowing their luck, they would manage to stumble upon all of them at the same time. I also want you to act as a backup handler. Agent Coulson is their primary handler but as he is still recovering from injuries received in a recent battle and those wildcards cannot be allowed to run loose without a baby-sitter and that’s what I want you to be, Mr Winchester, an Avengers baby-sitter.”

_“Baby-sitter! We don’t need no stinkin’ baby-sitter!”_ Tony hissed indignantly into Clint’s ear. Even though he couldn’t see him, the archer was sure the man was pouting.

_‘Well that’s a little rude. Thank you so much for your faith in us, Sir.’_ Clint barely resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at Fury because despite the fact that he was hidden out of sight, somehow they would just know and he didn’t want to see the look of disappointment in Coulson’s eyes.

Sam hated to admit it but Fury had a point. Without Bobby’s guidance Sam didn't even know where to start in his search and from what he’d heard about the Avengers their good intentions would more than likely backfire anyway or they would stumble into something they couldn’t even begin to imagine or have the slightest clue how to handle. Sam regarded Fury solemnly for a moment, as though considering all his options. Finally, he accepted. "I want your word that you will help me find my brother and Castiel. Nothing else matters to me but finding them."

Fury had to admit he was impressed with the young man, very few men had the stones to make demands from him. Women, yes, but not men. "You have my word, Mr Winchester."

Sam took a deep breath and wondered why it suddenly felt like he was about to sign his soul away. “Then I accept your offer to work for SHIELD and teach the Avengers what they need to know to survive a hunter’s life.”

"Good." Fury grunted out the single word before turning his gaze up to the air events. "Mr Barton, would you please inform the others that there will be a briefing in ten minutes."

The airwaves instantly began buzzing with comments and taunts.

_"Busted!"_

_"I told you this was a bad idea."_

_"No, you didn't!"_

_"Children, could you kindly put away your tongues and act like the adults you all claim to be?"_

_"I'll bring out the other guy if I have to."_

Clint couldn’t refrain from rolling his eyes as his teammates bickering came across the line. "Guys, this is Coulson and Fury. They knew I was there before I arrived and because they’re just that good is no reason to blame anyone," Clint pointed out calmly. As the one who was most used to Coulson knowing his every movement it can to no surprise that his lover knew he was up there listening in. “You heard the big man, people, we have a meeting in ten minutes and I’m in no mood to get another one of Phil’s looks.” Clint shuddered. He hated those looks; they always made him feel like he was a naughty child.

Sam glanced up at the ceiling his eyebrows furrowing together as he wondered just who the hell was up there and why they were crawling around in the air ducts in the first place.

Seeing Sam’s curiosity, Coulson automatically answered his unasked questions. “That’s Agent Clint Barton, one of the Avengers you will be training. Trust me when I say that you’ll get used to him hiding out in high places, in fact, you’ll soon find it unnatural to see him on the ground.”

“Riiight.” Sam blinked all the while wondering, _‘What have I gotten myself into and is it too late to back out.’_ Something told Sam that his time with SHIELD and more importantly with the Avengers just might be his strangest journey yet.

Linda patted Sam on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Sam, I’m sure you’ll get use to them in no time. After all, they can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever faced.”

Somehow that did not reassure Sam at all.

******  
Tony Stark would admit that he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to the fact that they were getting a new handler to help out a recovering Coulson, but the young man standing before them truly piqued his interest. He had such ancient and world-weary eyes that had clearly seen far too much horror and danger in the relatively short time he’d been alive. “So you’re a hunter.”

After getting over his shock that he was actually standing in a room with both Iron Man and Captain America, _‘Bobby, how could not have told us!’_ Sam shook himself free of his awe. At the sound of Tony’s voice his eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes, I’m a hunter; do you have a problem with that?”

Tony shrugged. “I’d just thought you’d be a little older, that's all. I mean, are you even old enough to drink, let alone save the world several times.”

Sam stared at Tony, unimpressed by his attempt at clever humour. "I spent a year locked inside Lucifer's cage, where I was tortured by him on a daily basis. The Archangel Michael, my brother and I have died several times only to be brought back time and time again because of our destiny. So yes, I think I’m old enough to drink and just in case you were wondering? I can even shave.”

“Yeah, actually I was so thanks for clearing that up for me.” Refusing to be out-snarked by the newcomer no matter how impressive his credentials were, Tony didn’t bother to hide the smirk that wanted to form as he watched Sam sigh and rub his forehead.

Sam could feel a headache being to form and he just knew that Tony was going to take great joy in pushing his buttons. _‘Well, Linda wasn’t kidding when she warned me about him!’_

"You are indeed a brave warrior, my young hunter, the likes of which I haven't met in a very long time; it will be an honour to fight alongside you," Thor boomed as he clapped Sam hard on his back, nearly sending the young man sprawling.

“Umm... thank you.” Sam wasn’t sure how to act around a real life God; that was something he and Dean hadn’t had to deal with all that much, at least not yet.

Darcy, who at first had no idea why she was there except for the fact that the team seemed to have adopted her as some kind of mascot, something she wasn’t sure how she felt about, looked between Tony and Sam and her lips twitched with the urge to smile as an idea slowly began to form. Tony had been down in the dumps ever since his relationship with Pepper had ended but the way he was looking at Sam, his new handler just might be what he needed to get out of the dumps and back into the swing of life.

_‘Looks like it’s time for me to play matchmaker!’_ Darcy forced herself not to jump for glee. _‘It’s been too long since I had any fun around here. I wonder if I can get the others to help? I know Clint would be more than willing and Natasha will have no problem joining in just for the chance to annoy Tony.’_ A plan was slowly being to take shape in her romantically busy little mind, and by the time she was finished with them, Tony and Sam were not going to know what hit them. _‘Oh boy, this is going to be fun!’_

Clint easily recognized the look on his partner-in-crime’s face as she studied Tony and their new handler and he had to fight the urge to smirk. He had been on the receiving end of Tony’s teasing about his relationship with Phil one too many times and it would be nice to get some payback. _‘Oh yes, Tony’s got no idea what’s about to hit him.’_

Natasha shook her head slightly as she observed the looks between Darcy and Clint but a tiny smile appeared on her lips. _‘A new love interest for Tony might be a good thing, it would stop him from interfering with my alone time with Pepper.’_ It was already hard enough to get time alone with her girlfriend given their schedules and even when they did more often than not Tony would come up with some reason that he needed Pepper for something. Natasha was at the end of her patience; much more of his interruptions over the smallest and often stupidest things and she was going to stab him with her knife. _‘Say good-bye to your happy place, Tony!’_

Tony fought the urge to shiver as he felt Natasha’s gaze boring into the back of his head; he didn’t need to look at the redhead to know that she was plotting his death. _‘Mental note: next time, let Natasha get laid before calling Pepper to help deal with the latest crisis, cos a grumpy assassin is no fun to be around.’_ Tony knew he’d been calling upon Pepper more than he should, and he felt guilty about that, especially when he called knowing she’d finally gotten some precious and hard-to-come-by time alone with Natasha. Although he was happy for her to have moved on after their relationship failed, and Tony was thankful that they’d managed to maintain their friendship, it still didn’t mean he enjoyed watching Pepper be all sappy and in love with Natasha.

Add to that being forced to watch the tooth-decaying sweetness that was Thor and Jane’s relationship as well as watching Clint glare daggers at Steve whenever Coulson went into one of his fanboy moods– well, basically _whenever_ Steve had Coulson’s attention. Tony had to admit, though, it was rather amusing to sit back and watch Clint scowl, glare and pout as Coulson practically drooled all over Steve. It was fun counting the minutes before the archer would let out a huff, snap out of his sulk and proceed to stalk over to the two men. He would cross his arms over his chest, stand behind Coulson and glare menacingly at Steve.

Now to give Steve credit, he had come a long way since waking from his time in the ice, and he was certainly smart enough to know that while Clint was an easy going kind of guy who liked to joke and tease his teammates and accept the same back from them. However, when it came to Coulson spending time with Steve, Clint simply lost all sense of reason; he would let his jealousy and fear that Coulson just might, and it was a pretty _big_ might, leave him for Steve control his actions. Everyone around him thought he was being crazy; they could all see that Coulson was head over heels in love with Clint and even Steve knew that Phil would never jeopardise their relationship with anyone.

Plus it was kinda of obvious to everyone, or at least it was to Tony, that Steve and Bruce wanted to bump uglies with one another but both were being rather chicken about their feelings. They were just too busy doing the whole tragic ‘he’ll never feel the same way about me and so I am prepared to pine away hopelessly while staring longing at him not realising that my feelings are indeed returned,’ act to do anything about it. At least that’s how Tony saw it; he might have been wrong about that but he was pretty sure that was the case. _‘Mental note number two: create Hulk-proof closet, then lock Steve and Bruce in said closet and refuse to let either one of them out until they’ve either admitted their feelings for one another or shagged each other senseless.’_

Sam was very used to the plotting gleams that often appeared in a good chunk of the Avengers’ eyes and when he noticed those looks flying around the room, he took a step back all the while wondering, _‘What have I gotten myself into?’_ It didn’t matter, though, he knew he would put up with anything if it meant getting Dean and Castiel back safely, even if it meant putting up with this obvious madhouse. _'I just hope I survive with my sanity intact. Hang on, guys; I'll find a way to save you both as soon as I can.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Six months later_

Dean was really getting tired of running for his life every bloody time he dared to venture out of the cave he and Castiel have been calling home for the last six months. Every day he spent in hell the more in awe he was of Ianto for having survived three years trapped here. Ianto was completely unaware of Dean’s growing hero-worship; as far as he was concerned, it was just life as usual.

"You must know that Sam is doing everything in his power to find us." Castiel's voice broke the brooding silence that was beginning to fill Dean's mind.

"Yeah, but that’s if Sammy even knows where to look for us. Or if _he's_ even alive! Damn, Cas, we left him alone with Crowley! He has all of hell at his command and you know how high we are on his shit list." Dean wasn't sure how Sam would or could handle Crowley on his own; there was no telling what else was out there hunting him that week.

Knowing how worried his friend was, Castiel rested his hand on Dean's shoulder. "We will find a way out of this place; it was no accident that we were found by Ianto Jones. Please believe me when I tell you that it all ties in to how he has managed to stay alive all this time."

Dean blinked in surprise. "I have been wondering about that, how _has_ Ianto managed to stay one step ahead of our pleasant and charming neighbours?"

"Cardiff was once home to a Rift of time and space, and Ianto Jones was the man who closed it. Unfortunately, something like as powerful as the Rift does not just fade away into nothingness; it needed somewhere to go and it has made its new home in Ianto. I don't think Ianto knows yet the full power that lies within him or about his connection to the Lady of Time. Like you and Sam, Ianto has his own destiny and I know that it ties into the destiny of the only true immortal that exists, Jack Harkness," Castiel explained to Dean.

A low growl escaped Dean's lips as a scowl made its way onto his face. "The same Jack who broke Ianto's heart by denying him the words he needed to hear on his would-be deathbed? That bastard? Because I have to tell you I am _not_ his biggest fan." Dean crossed his arms over his chest and glared at a poor innocent tree. _'For all the pain he put Ianto through I’ll probably punch him right in his smug face.'_

"You're thinking of hurting someone, aren't you?" Castiel had become quite adept at reading Dean's expressions, especially when Dean was up to no good, and the look in his eyes clearly promised pain to someone. Castiel didn't need to ask who Dean was thinking about; during their time trapped together Dean had taken on the big brother role where Ianto was concerned. _'I wonder if this is why Balthazar has yet to rescue Ianto; too many people are plotting Jack's death.'_

******  
"Why is Ianto still in Purgatory? Didn't you promise me that you were going to get him out and soon?"

Balthazar fought the urge not to wince as the carefully controlled voice of his lover washed over him. Plastering what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his face, he turned around and looked at his scowling girlfriend. "I did and I'm working on it. Please trust me, Toshiko; the players are all in position and ready for action."

Uncrossing her arms Toshiko Sato's glare grew icier as she moved to stand in front of her fellow angel. "Don't try to smooth talk me, buddy," and she poked him in the chest with her finger as her dark eyes flashed with barely suppressed anger. "You've left my best friend trapped in that horrid place for _three years_! If you don't want to be sleeping on the couch with only your hand as your company for the next few thousand years then you will get moving faster."

Before her death Tosh would never have dreamt of making such a threat but being dead _and_ a fledging angel changes a girl. She’d discovered that such drastic threats were occasionally necessary when dealing with the angel standing uncomfortably before her. Tosh rolled her eyes at the pout that briefly appeared on his lips. _'Why do I always fall for the childish ones? Well, except for Tommy, he was a prince.'_  

When she’d first arrived in the afterlife Tosh had been given the choice to either enter her own personal heaven or take up the role of guardian angel watching over her friends and family. After the war in heaven the powers that be up there were recruiting all the souls who had shown the most potential when they were alive. Tosh didn't even hesitate for an instant; she said yes the moment they asked.

She happily and diligently watched over her friends and family and she’d been quite surprised to learn that Ianto actually had his very own angel. She was confused as to why she was assigned to watch over Ianto as well, at least she was until the day she met Balthazar. Then she simply wondered how on Earth… uh… Heaven Ianto had survived everything he had gone through.

Then the 456 happened and Tosh felt her heart break for Ianto and Jack; they were so much in love and so happy together. At the same time she wanted to smack Jack right upside his head for denying them both the one chance he had to verbally reassure Ianto that he was loved.

Balthazar blanched; he knew his little fire-breathing dragon didn't make empty promises and from the fuming look in her eyes he could see that she was already not in a good mood. _‘I don’t pity Jack Harkness when my dragon gets a hold of him.’_ “Trust me, watashi no saiai no tenshi.” Hoping to sooth Tosh, he addressed her in Japanese, calling her his beloved angel. “I have a plan and it involves my dear brother Castiel and his favourite human, Dean. Hopefully it will stir jealousy in our dear immortal once he sees how close Ianto is to them.”

“Good!” Tosh huffed out grouchily, crossing her arms over her chest. “He deserves everything he’s got coming.”

Balthazar glanced at his lover raising his eyebrow at her answer in stun disbelief, "Shouldn't you be more worried that Jack might have moved on or that Ianto might fall in love with one of his new companions? I thought you are the original Jack-and-Ianto fangirl?"

Tosh shook her head. "I would be, but I know how much Jack still loves Ianto even if he didn’t know it or say it out loud back then. I have seen firsthand how deeply Ianto loves Jack and I guarantee that kind of love does not fade away. I know in my heart that they’ll find their way back to one another no matter how long it takes. But there is a lot of hurt between them that they’ll need to work out, and the biggest factors causing it are the Gwen and Doctor.”

Jack had never made any attempt to hide how strongly he felt about the Time Lord and Ianto had born the pain of not being first in Jack’s heart silently and stoically. She and Ianto had gotten quite close and he’d confided his fears and insecurities to her, so she knew he often wondered how he would ever compete against someone Jack had loved for so long and so deeply. But Jack had changed, that love had changed when Jack came back from his journey with the Doctor and he actually began looking at Ianto like he was finally seeing the young Welshman for the first time.

Then there was Gwen. Former police constable Gwen Cooper Williams, a married woman who refused to be satisfied with the man she had, a man who loved her with all his heart; _‘Poor Rhys,’_  Tosh sighed.

Tosh remembered how deeply wounded and distraught Ianto had been when they had stumbled upon the footage of Jack and Gwen talking in the tunnels after Jack's return and the absolutely shattered  look that had appeared on Jack's face as he learned Gwen was engaged. _'No wonder Ianto felt second-best!'_

But somehow Jack had made it up to Ianto, first by asking him out on a date and treating him like a king for the entire evening. Ianto filled her in on the words Jack had spoken to him and the wonderful kiss they had shared the night before they sent Tommy home. Tosh had hoped Jack finally saw what he had with Ianto and that Ianto was finally assured of his place in Jack’s heart.

Then the Space Whale happened and Rhys not only found out about them, he played an integral part in being those butchers to justice. Tosh had a front row seat to the day her best friend heart broken when Jack gave in to Gwen's threat of leaving Torchwood with a broken 'I would'. Ianto had tried valiantly to hide his pain, but Tosh knew him too well; she’d seen the signs that he’d been crying when he’d come up from the Archives several hours later.

After that had come Jack’s over-dramatic entrance to wedding ceremony and the look of shameless hope on Gwen's face as Jack had strode up the aisle toward her. Finally, during the brazen dance that Jack, the interloper, and Gwen, another man’s bride, had shared at the reception, the two of them had looked at each other like it had been _their_ wedding day. They were so caught up in their little moment, they never saw the looks of anger, disgust and pity flying around room nor did they see how upset both Ianto and Rhys were as they watched the people they loved flaunt their feelings.

Tosh knew how much courage and resolve it had taken for Ianto to cut in on them and ask Jack to dance and it would have been a beautiful moment if Jack hadn't decided to gaze after Gwen with longing in his eyes even when he was dancing with his lover. It had taken all of Tosh’s self-control to remain in her seat; she was absolutely itching to kick Captain Jack Harkness right in his ignorant, selfish bollocks.

"Jack has hurt Ianto for the last time,” Tosh declared vehemently, “and I want Ianto to know what it feels like to really be loved by someone with their whole heart. He deserves that so very much, and as much as I wish Ianto could find another to love, his heart belongs to Jack just as Jack’s heart belongs to Ianto. All I can do is hope Jack is finally ready to accept the love that Ianto offers him and that he can return that love without fear." A dangerous glint appeared in Tosh’s eyes; “Because if he can’t then Jack will have to face my wrath.”

Balthazar couldn’t help the shiver that ran up his spine; he found Tosh completely and totally irresistible when she went into protective mode. His beloved angel had become kare no fukushū no tenshi, his avenging angel.

“Besides, Dean and Castiel have eyes for no one but each other and despite their fling, Benny and Ianto will never move beyond being friends.” Tosh knew that Ianto and Jack were destined for one another no matter what obstacles or bumps in the road the Universe put in their way. Besides, she knew that Benny was just as protective of his young Welsh friend as she was, and even though he might not look at Ianto like a full-time lover he was not above using their past to make Jack see that if he didn’t wise up he would lose Ianto to someone else.

_‘I just hope Jack has finally gotten his head out of his immortal arse!’_ Despite her misgivings, Tosh had seen how devastated Jack was over Ianto’s death and he hadn’t been the same since; she knew that Jack carried deep regrets over how he treated Ianto. _‘I hope for your sake, Jack, that you don’t waste your next chance, I because don’t think Ianto can take being treated as second best any longer. In fact, I'm sure of it.’_

Balthazar wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace; he loved the way she barely came up to his chin and how her soft hair tickled his neck. “Trust me, beloved, I think Jack has realised how much he took Ianto for granted and how much truly he loves Ianto. I also think he knows just how much of a fool he was never to let Ianto know how much he truly loved him and just what place he held in his heart.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tosh murmured as she rested her head on his chest.

_‘I hope as well, my love; they have more than earned their happy ending.’_ Balthazar also knew that there was another being longing for the Jack/Ianto reunion just as much as Tosh was and she was the key to all.

******

_Somewhere in space and time_

_"It is time.”_ The words came out of the blue. _“We must find Jack."_

The Doctor jumped in surprise and then blinked rapidly; he was unused to hearing the TARDIS talking and giving him orders and even more astonished that she’d spoken out loud for Rory and Amy to hear.

“Who was that?” Amy asked as she crossed her arms and glared at the Doctor waiting for answers. She didn't like it when the Doctor kept secrets from her.

“And who is Jack? And why do we need to collect him?” Rory voiced his own questions while staring at the Doctor, although he wasn’t upset like his wife, he was simply curious.

Sighing with exasperation for his ship’s lack of discretion, the Doctor ran a hand through his hair making it stick out more wildly than normal. He was unsure how to explain Jack in any way, shape or form or why the TARDIS was talking to them. “It’s a long story but for reasons I do not know that was the TARDIS speaking to us and as for Jack, well… Jack isn’t really explained as much as he’s _experienced_.”

Amy and Rory shared a look that clearly said, _'Oh crap, I wonder just what we're getting into now.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**  
  
An explosion rocked the building and echoed through the halls, giving Sam plenty of reason to sigh with resignation as he calmly entered Tony’s lab. Mindful of his surroundings, Sam carefully picked his way through all the glass that littered the ground as he waved his hand in front of his face, dispersing the acrid smoke that the vents hadn’t sucked out yet.

Whipping off his safety goggles, an act which left him looking like a reverse Panda bear, Tony grinned wildly as he meet Sam’s disapproving glare. “Oh, come on! I haven’t blown up anything in nearly a week!” he pointed out proudly. “Even you have to admit that I was past due.”

Even though he found Tony’s exhilaration charming and sexy, Sam just slowly shook his head. "I had to fall for a child," he muttered under his breath. Reaching for a clean cloth, Sam began to gently wipe the soot and grim from Tony’s mad scientist’s face.

For the first two months of his time working with SHIELD, Sam Winchester had focused so much of his energy on finding his brother and Castiel that he didn't have any time for socializing. He was actually quite surprised to discover how happy he was to have Linda and Kevin in his life as friends and a new family; as far as he was concerned, they were all he needed. However, he hadn't counted on Darcy Lewis.

The determined young woman had made it her mission in life to make Sam an equal part of the team and had methodically sought him out at every opportunity. She refused to let him simply drift unnoticed and overlooked among the other agents. After several uncomfortable and on one occasion, embarrassing situations, Sam quickly learned it was impossible to say no to Darcy and he’d gracefully given in to her efforts.

After Steve and Bruce had gotten together – all it had taken was an encounter with General Ross on one of his ridiculous attempts to get SHIELD to hand Hulk over to him – Steve had snapped. He’d told the General in a very polite but unmistakably forceful way exactly where he could shove his personnel transfer request. If memory served, the words “…where the sun don’t shine…” had been used, as well as “…you’ll get your hands on Bruce over my dead body…” The look in Steve's eyes had everyone taking a step back as with a glare on his face that challenged anyone to interfere, Steve had dragged a stunned yet titillated Bruce out of the meeting room with him.

With those two men finally together, Darcy found herself at loose ends and in dire need of someone else to focus on and to Sam's abject horror he became her newest project. As Darcy dragged him along on every team building exercise available, it didn't take long for Sam to realise that she was playing matchmaker for him and Tony. It was actually amusing for the team to watch her progress as she and Clint were less than subtle in their attempts to get them together.

After failed attempt number twenty-six, Clint and Darcy were beginning to get desperate and in a last ditch effort to create a romantic connection, the conniving duo had locked them in Tony's lab. Late one night, working swiftly but stealthily, they prepared the room with soft music, champagne and strawberries, and gourmet chocolates, and on a more practical note, plenty of bottled water, energy bars and protein shakes. Darcy’s final touch was the addition of a soft futon and half-a-dozen cushions while Clint discretely included a box containing plenty of lube and condoms.

Several hours later, she and Clint stood arm-in-arm in the doorway, surveying their handiwork with smug satisfaction. “Well, if they can resist this little love nest, then there’s not a romantic bone in their bodies!”

The final step in their plan was the promise of keeping Tony from blowing up his lab for at least a week to bribe JARVIS into temporarily changing Tony's passwords, thus effectively trapping the soon-to-be lovebirds until Darcy was satisfied that her Cupid mission was a thorough success. Between them she had lured Sam and Clint, Tony, to the lab and once the men were inside, they’d gleefully slammed the door and high-fived each other.

It had taken three days of forced togetherness before Tony and Sam had realised the futility of resistance and had succumbed to the inevitable. During that time, there were multiple threats of retaliation, including Sam swearing he would sic the ever frightening Linda on them and Tony promising that wherever they went the single most annoying song he could find would follow them endlessly.

Darcy had cheerful called back that if Tony even thought of doing that Natasha would skin him alive while Kevin, the real traitor in Sam's opinion, calmly informed Sam that his mom was backing Darcy up one hundred and ten percent. Apparently, even she was tired of watching him making gooey, love-sick moon eyes at Tony. Incredibly flustered, blushing crimson and sputtering profusely, Sam had firmly denied ever doing such a thing, while Tony had merely leaned against the counter grinning in amusement at him.

Finally, and _only_ to just shut everyone up, Sam kissed Tony, expecting that to be the end of all the nonsense and matchmaking, only to discover that it wasn't over, not by a long shot. Never in Sam's life, not even with Jess, did a kiss ever feel so right; that single act left him feeling so compete and so content that he was speechless. From the way Tony fervently returned the kiss Sam could tell that he felt the same way. That new-found knowledge led to them staggering in a full-in lip lock over to the futon, which they fell onto in a tangle of arms and legs.

In fact, they had been so involved in kissing and caressing one another that they never noticed when the door to the lab unlocked. Later, according to their teammates – the traitors! – Tony and Sam had informed them that they didn't even notice the box of goodies that Clint had left for them, and which ended up being so useful that it was empty by the end of their confinement.

Blissfully unaware that the door was unlocked and that they could leave any time they wanted, Sam and Tony spent the weekend comfortably ensconced in their makeshift love nest, happily learning every inch of each other's bodies. When Monday morning rolled around, Sam was greeted to a very smug looking Darcy from whom he gratefully accepted the cup of steaming hot coffee. Between sips he thanked her several times and told her that he would never doubt her again.

That had been four months ago and despite the fact that his brother and dear friend were still missing Sam was as happy as he could be and a big part of that was having Tony in his life.

Crossing the distance between them, Tony pulled Sam into a tender, comforting kiss; he hated seeing the haunted look in his lover's eyes. Sam did his best to keep his despair under wraps, but he couldn’t fool the man who loved him. Tony knew how much his boyfriend missed his brother just as he knew that each failure at finding them was slowly killing the hope within Sam. Tony watched the light in Sam’s eyes die a little more each time and he was at a loss as to how to make things any better.

Tony had no good memories of his childhood or of what it was like to be part of a family who loved one another and who cared about each other’s welfare, but he was learning again with Sam. Pepper and the Avengers were becoming family to him as well and in his heart, he knew that he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. As he grew closer to his new family, becoming more and more involved in their lives and understanding what made each of them tick,  Tony discovered that he couldn't even begin to fathom the kind of pain Sam was going through. It was obvious to them all, but especially to Tony, that the longer Sam was apart from his brother and his angel, the more the young hunter died a little more inside.

For now, all Tony had to offer Sam was a pair of strong arms to hold him and his deep and abiding love. "We will get them back, I promise you," Tony vowed once he broke the kiss. He pulled away from Sam just enough so he could look his boyfriend in the eye. “I promise, Sam.”

Sighing tremulously, Sam rested his head on Tony's shoulder, not wanting him to see the tears in his eyes. "I know you guys are doing everything you possibly can, really, I do. It's just not easy to keep hope alive any more. Each day that goes by and we’re no closer to find them now than we started and it…” his voice was choked with unshed tears and caught in his throat. Tony’s arms tightened around him, giving him the strength to go on. “…it just kills me..." Sam trailed off, needing a moment to calm himself, and then he took a shuddering breath before continuing, "…to know that we may never… never find them."

It was a truth Sam didn’t want to accept but it just might be a fate he simply couldn’t change.

Tony could feel Sam trembling with emotion and it made him feel so helpless when all he had to offer were words. "Hey now, come on! You've got some of the greatest minds including my own brilliant self working on this and I promise you we will find a way to rescue them. Please, sweetheart, please don't lose hope, not yet." In his heart, Tony knew that if push came to shove, he was prepared to rip apart the very heavens themselves to find Sam's family.

Smiling gratefully, Sam planted a huge kiss on Tony’s lips, looped his arms around his lover’s waist and snuggled deeper into his hold. "I won't, I promise, because while there’s a never-ending terror in my soul of what they could be suffering, you give me the strength and the hope to get through each day. I don’t think I couldn’t make it without you."

Tony felt his breath hitch; no one had ever looked at him the way Sam was looking at him at that very moment; the pure trust shining in Sam’s eyes and the sheer sincerity of his words sent a surge of love throughout Tony’s chest, making his heart swell and making him feel like a king. Tony was so overcome with emotion that he was unable to find the words to let Sam know how much that meant to him but he could show him.

Sam moaned low in his throat as Tony devoured his mouth; tangling his hands into Tony's hair he returned that kiss with just as much passion as Tony was offering. And for that one special moment, Sam allowed all his worries and fears about never seeing Dean or Castiel again fade away as he focused completely on the man he was falling deeply in love with.

******  
"Someone has got to talk to them; I can only take so many moping looks before I snap!" Benny muttered under his breath. He and Ianto watched as Castiel and Dean continued their awkward dance around one another; the first month it had been cute now, six months later, the vampire refused to be held responsible for his actions. If he had to witness one more longing look between the two of them, he was absolutely going to lose it!

Ianto raised an eyebrow and turned to face a scowling Benny with an unimpressed look on his face "And you think it should be up to _me_ to play matchmaker," he pointed out.

Benny’s scowl faded and turned into a grin instantly as he clapped Ianto on the shoulder. "Well you _have_ had experience dealing with emotionally stunted men who can't talk about their feelings. After all, before you ended up here you were one yourself," the vampire cheerfully reminded him. His grin widened and Ianto could see his fangs gleaming in the light.

Sighing deeply, Ianto looked back and forth between Castiel and Dean, wondering which of the two would be easier to talk to. As annoying as he could be on occasion, Ianto had to admit that Benny had a point; sometimes it was physically painful for Ianto to watch the two men pine after one another. They were both too scared to voice aloud what they truly wanted, and on the one hand, it was amusing – it was him and Jack all over again, dancing around one another but never daring to act.

Thinking back, he realised how much of the short time they’d had together he and Jack had actually wasted. They’d never bothered to just sit down even once and bloody talk about what they felt in their hearts. Then, it was too late to say anything, although Ianto had done his best to express the truth he’d carried in his heart since the day he’d met Captain Jack Harkness. _‘I love you.’_

_'I refuse to let Dean and Castiel suffer the same way Jack and I did, not if I can help it.'_ Straightening his shoulders and strengthening his resolve, Ianto climbed to his feet and moved to join Dean, who was sitting by the entrance ostensibly keeping a look out. Strange that, given the fact that the only thing he was really paying any attention to was Castiel. Trusting Benny to keep Castiel busy, Ianto wasted no time in getting to the point. "You do know that the only person who _doesn't_ know you're in love with Castiel is the angel himself."

Hearing the truth laid out so clearly, Dean's shoulders slumped as Ianto came to sit beside him. "Yeah, I kinda figured out." The pain in his voice was obvious, especially to someone who shared the ache.

From his seat next to Dean Ianto looked up at the grey sky and not for the first time wished he could see Cardiff’s beautiful night sky full of stars. One of his fondest and dearest memories of his life before the 456 was one night shortly after Jack had returned from his trip with the Doctor. Jack had surprised him with a romantic rooftop picnic, and after they’d enjoyed a delicious meal of roasted chicken, potato salad and crisp white wine, they’d spent the rest of the night curled up together in one another’s arms.

Even today Ianto could close his eyes and hear Jack's soothing voice rumbling in his ear as he told the Welshman about all the wonders that were spread among the stars. The one thing about that night that had stuck with Ianto to this very day was Jack’s whispered promise when he thought his beloved young Welshman had fallen asleep, "Someday I will show you the stars, Yan, because a soul as beautiful and old as yours is deserves to be out there soaring through the Universe. I want to be the one who shows you sights and wonders beyond your wildest dreams. I want to be the man who makes all your dreams come true, Jones, Ianto Jones."

Tucking his precious memories back into his heart, Ianto turned to Dean. "My greatest regret with Jack is that I was never brave enough to tell him I love him and ask him how he truly felt about me. Then, it was too late to do anything but…” Ianto sighed as pain lanced through his heart. “Don't make the same mistake I did, Dean; don't let love slip through your fingers.” Again, Ianto had to stop for a moment, this time to swallow back the tears that clogged his throat.

“You okay?” Dean tried to remain casual. Even though he’d only known Ianto for a short time, he could see that the normally stoic man was struggling to contain himself.

Ruthlessly Ianto slammed his mask back into place. “Fight for your love, Dean, fight every single day because you will regret not having those moments to reflect upon later. Regret is a painful thing to live with; it can eat at your soul every day and it can ruin even your most wonderful memories with its sting of what could have been."

"Do you think Castiel feels the same way?" Dean hated the vulnerability that appeared in his voice. “Do you really think he loves me?”

A highly amused snort escaped Ianto's lips as the Welshman shook his head in wonder. _‘Did I ever sound that hopeless_ _when_ _I talked to Tosh about Jack?'_ "You really don't see the way Castiel looks at you? Good god, man, he defied Heaven and turned his back on them to save you! You can see it in his eyes plain as day every time he looks at you!" Ianto placed a gently encouraging hand on Dean's shoulder. "Just talk to him and you'll see that I'm right." Ianto knew he could offer all the advice in the world but it was up to Dean and/or Castiel to take the next step.

In truth Dean didn't want him and Castiel to end up like Ianto and Jack; he could see firsthand the lingering pain in Ianto's eyes whenever he talked about Jack and that was not a pain he ever wanted Cas to experience. Taking a deep breath Dean dared to glance at Ianto and he saw not the pain and loss he was expecting but the patience and understanding of a friend in the Welshman's eyes and he smiled, his mind made up. "Could you send Cas over here and then make sure you and Benny are busy at the other end of the cave?"

Ianto smiled at Dean and nodded his head. "I will. Good luck, my friend." _'May you have better luck than Jack and I did.'_ Ianto silently wished his friends all the luck in the world.

Castiel looked up as Ianto joined him and Benny with an ear-to-ear grin on his face and a worried look entered Castiel's eyes. Glancing over Ianto’s shoulder, he noticed that Dean seemed to be pacing the front of the cave, "Is Dean alright?" the angel asked, a sudden jolt of concern travelling down his spine.

Smiling as if he knew the biggest secret in the world, Ianto came to stand beside Benny. "He's just fine, Cas, but he does need to talk to you."

Frowning, the angel waiting for Ianto to continue but there was nothing else forthcoming. "Very well, I shall go talk to him." Castiel moved towards the cave’s opening trying not to look too anxious.

"They’re finally going to talk, aren't they?" Benny asked as he watched the two men huddle together. With his enhanced vampire hearing, he was looking forward to doing a little eavesdropping.

"Yep,” Ianto nodded his head. "You know, we should probably give them some space." Ianto snagged his friend by the shoulder and dragged the nosy vampire away.

His plan to listen in foiled Benny changed his tune. "I just hope they keep the noises down," he grumbled under his breath as he allowed Ianto to drag him further back into the cave.

Castiel came to stand beside Dean, "Ianto said you wished to talk to me?"

Dean took a deep breath, trying to still the trembling in his hands. _'Why is this so hard?'_ the displaced hunter couldn't help but wonder to himself. Walking into Hell, facing off against angels, hunting down demons, it all seemed so much easier than simply telling Castiel “I love you.” "Cas... I… well, it’s like this… you… damn it!" Frustrated by his inability to adequately voice his feelings Dean whirled away from the angel. 

Confused and a little worried by his human's volatile outburst, Castiel watched Dean begin pacing again. "You know you can tell me anything. I _am_ your friend."

"Is that _all_ you feel for me? _Friendship_?" Dean asked coming to a sudden halt his eyes blazing with an emotion that threatened to consume both him and Castiel. "Because what I feel for you is a hell of a lot more than friendship and I need to know if I'm alone in this or not."

Castiel's brow furrowed together. "But you are not alone, Dean; you have Ianto, Benny and myself."

" _Damn it,_ Cas!" Dean threw caution to the wind, grabbed the corners of Castiel's tattered coat and hauled the angel into a kiss that was...

…pure bliss.

After a moment of surprised hesitation, Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean and returned the kiss with everything he had. Nothing in his long life had ever felt more right than having Dean in his arms and it hit the angel like a bolt of lightning. Now he understood why he was willing to turn against his brothers and sisters: because _they_ were no longer his family! No, Dean and Sam were his family and more importantly, Dean was his heart’s home.

Pulling away from his angel's oh-so-tempting mouth, Dean finally gave voice to his feelings, "I love you! I love you and I have for the longest time. I want you to know that being trapped here is a whole lot more bearable because I'm trapped here with you."

Struck to the core by his human’s declaration, Castiel wasted no time. "I love you as well, Dean.” A mischievous light entered the angel’s eyes. “Does this mean we shall share more kisses? Because I rather enjoy kissing you," he asked innocently, his eyes wide and his smile broad.

An answering grin spread itself across Dean's face as his eyes flashed brightly with wicked thoughts. "Oh yeah, kissing and a whole lot more," he promised before reclaiming Castiel's mouth kiss even more fiery than their first.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Somehow the Doctor wasn't surprised that he’d managed to track Jack down in the Vegas galaxy, _‘Probably his home away from home!’_ the Time Lord snorted. After giving Amy and Rory – well, Rory, actually, he was the more level-headed of the two – an unlimited credit chip and leaving them in a top-of-the-line hotel, he went in search of his immortal friend. Knowing what he and Jack would be facing, there was no way he was taking Amy and Rory with him in to Purgatory.

Taking a deep breath and steeling himself against the scum of the Universe he knew would be inside, the Time Lord entered the low-class bar and glanced around trying to see in the dim light. Finally he found the man he was seeking, slouched against the bar with a half-empty glass in his hand. "I really hope he doesn't punch me."

“Move it,” a deep voice demanded as the Doctor found himself shoved to the side, and after seeing the size of the newcomer, he gladly stepped far to the side. Partially hidden by a pillar, he studied his old friend, noticing his slovenly appearance, the air of despair about him, and the way he tossed back his drink and immediately gestured for another. Seeing the state Jack was in made the Doctor’s hearts ache; his was all his fault, the downfall of the once brave Jack Harkness.

Of course, given the parting gift his last self had left Jack with, it probably wasn't surprising that things had turned out the way they had. The Doctor had pretty much succeeded in putting Jack out of his mind until late one night, after Amy and Rory had gone to bed, the TARDIS showed him what the 456 had cost Jack, his home, his grandson and unbeknownst to Jack, his soul bond, Ianto. _'And I tossed Alonso at him thereby confirming Jack's low opinion that I see him as nothing more than an intergalactic whore.'_ The Doctor signed deeply, realising that he had a lot of work ahead of him.

"Come to toss another sailor at me? Thinking _he_ could take Ianto's place?"

The Time Lord was so lost in his thoughts and regrets that he failed to notice Jack had abandoned his drink and joined him until Jack's bitter voice washed over him like acid. Looking into his friend's broken gaze, the Doctor knew that there was so much he had to say to Jack, everything from a sincere apology for his treatment of him, for running away and leaving him on the game station, for calling him wrong and saying that he made him sick, to not being there for Jack when he needed him the more than anything else in the Universe.

Instead of words from his heart, what came out of his mouth was not what he meant to say: "You recognize me?"

Jack snorted derisively and coughed out a laugh, the stench of alcohol on his breath.  "I've met your friend, River Song, and let's face it, Doc, you tend to draw attention to yourself. I've heard all about your new face as well as the stories of your latest adventures with the Mr and Mrs.” He looked longingly back at the bar where another glass of Hyper-vodka awaited him. “I’ve got a lot a drinking to do, so tell me what you want, Doc, because I doubt you've come all this way just to chat, especially not after our last meeting."

Wincing at the venom in Jack’s alcohol savaged voice, the Doctor studied the man before him; given his current state of mind and inebriation, he wondered how his friend was going to take this latest little piece of news and decided that under the circumstances the direct approach was best. “Your Ianto Jones is trapped in Purgatory and I'm going to rescue him.”

Jack stared at the Doctor for a moment, the words rolling around in his head like thunder and then suddenly his knees gave out beneath him. If it weren’t for the Doctor’s lightning fast reflexes, he’d have hit the floor like a ton of brick. He'd heard of Purgatory – who in the Universe hadn’t – it was the home where the monsters spent their afterlife and the very idea of his Ianto trapped in that living hell for three years tore into his very soul. “We have to save him, Doc. Please, if you ever had any positive feelings for me, please, you have to help me rescue Ianto. Please, Doc!”

Never did the Time Lord think the day would come when Jack Harkness would be begging him for anything. “You really do love him, don’t you?” he asked in pure awe.

Jack’s blue eyes glistened brightly with unshed tears, intense pain and immense guilt. “With all my heart, Doc, and like a fool I never told him! He died in doubt, never hearing those three little words come freely from me.” A single fat tear rolled unchecked down his cheek unnoticed except by the Doctor. “How I treated Ianto has haunted me every moment of my life since I lost him. Please, Doc, I need a second chance! I have to do this right, to do _us_ right, to show him every single day how much I love him.” Jack’s voice broke and a sob ripped its way from his throat. “Will you please help me save him?”

The Doctor looked at his old friend and knew that the weight of his past self’s actions had never weighed more heavily on his soul. “Jack, I can never truly make up for all the pain I have caused you in the past, I know that; all I can do is hope that this will be a way to make a fresh start.”

For a moment Jack couldn’t breathe, he was too afraid he’d heard wrong. With a strong shake of his head, which he immediately regretted, given the amount of alcohol that had befuddled his brain, he whispered, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

A smile lit up the Doctor’s face. “Indeed I am, Jack. Let’s go rescue your Mr Jones and his three companions.”

An exuberant whoop of joy escaped Jack’s lips as he embraced the Time Lord and he even planted a quick kiss on the Doctor’s lips before releasing him. "Then what are we waiting for? Where's my beautiful girl?" Jack’s mind was suddenly clear as a bell and for the first time in years, his heart was filled with hope.

Glad to see the spark returning to Jack's deep blue eyes the Doctor tilted his head. "Just outsi...."

That was all Jack need to hear. With another joyous shout, he grabbed the Time Lord in a hug so tight even the Gallifreyan’s secondary respiratory system squeaked in alarm and before the Doctor had time to blink Jack had dragged him out through the bar’s saloon-style doors and into the TARDIS.  

Releasing the Doctor's hand Jack bounded over to the console and ran his hands lovingly across the TARDIS’ controls. “Come on, you beautiful blue creature, let’s go collect Ianto and the others.” Then, without warning, Jack’s entire demeanour changed. Turning around slowly, he tilted his head in thought and blinked as what the Doctor said finally sank in.

On his way up the entry ramp, the Time Lord actually paused mid-step when he saw the look on the immortal’s face. He was sure he was seeing the green-eyed monster appear when Jack whirled around to face him with a deadly glare on his handsome face. "Wait…” He glowered at the Doctor. “What others, Doc?” There was a low, rather dangerous tone to his voice. “Who are these others and just how close are they to _my_ Ianto?"

For a man who loudly claimed to not do jealousy, the Doctor thought Jack was doing a pretty good job of it right at that moment. _'It would seem that Mr Jones is truly one of a kind.'_ Knowing he could have some fun with that little titbit of knowledge, the Doctor bounced on his toes with naughty anticipation. "Well, from what the TARDIS has told me…” and the Doctor lowered his voice and glanced from side to side conspiratorially. “It would seem Ianto has three _very_ handsome men who’ve been keeping him company for the last little while," he happily informed the now fiercely scowling immortal.

"Just exactly how _long_ is a little while?" Jack knew there was no point in denying he was jealous when it came to Ianto, after all, he always had been. Oh he knew perfectly well that the others thought he’d been jealous over Gwen's relationship with Rhys and in a way that was true, but not for the reasons everyone thought. He was simply jealous of the fact she could have a normal life including a home and a family with Rhys, but only when she learned to let go of her dreams of a life with Jack. 

It broke Jack’s heart that he couldn't offer that same normal life to Ianto. _'That's another thing; I need to make sure that Ianto knows that I would never have gone for Gwen even if she had chosen me over Rhys._ _He has to know that I never loved her the way I love him; he's my world, my moon, my sun and my very soul.'_ Once Jack had Ianto back in his arms where he belonged he had plans to make sure that Ianto never, ever doubted his place in Jack's heart again.

Seeing the fire in Jack’s eyes, the Doctor realised that he really was going to get a lot of joy out of this. "Two of the men have only spent the last year with Ianto but the other has been there from the start and he seems to be very close with your Ianto."

"How close?" Jack growled out through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I don’t know, how close can two men grow when you only have each other to watch one another’s back for about three years?" The Doctor was enjoying teasing his old friend; it had been far too long since they’d had the chance for any kind of repartee. The TARDIS had showed him bits and pieces of Ianto’s relationship with the vampire, Benny, and while they had shared a physical relationship it had never grown into anything more than a strong friendship. 

While Jack was glad to hear that Ianto wasn't alone he wasn't too happy to hear that _his_ Welshman had been in the company of three men. The sooner they got Ianto out of t/here the better, in fact, for the immortal it might not be fast enough. Jack’s mind was reeling with images of Ianto’s fate, everything from being eaten by some vanquished demon to living happily ever after with whomever this new guy in his life was.

Sensing the turmoil in Jack’s heart, the TARDIS nudged the Doctor’s mind, urging him to comfort her friend. The Doctor cast about for the right words to say and then they came to him.

“Ianto’s heart is still yours.”

Jack shuddered with relief as the Doctor’s soft words washed over him; that was what he’d been secretly afraid of, that he’d lost the one person in existence that had meant the world to him. However, he knew he had a lot work ahead of him to make up for all the pain he’d caused his young lover. He’d hurt Ianto greatly during the course of their relationship, from kissing him publicly after his revival from Abaddon’s to abandoning him a moment later to chase after the Doctor. He’d never bothered to hide his love for the mysterious Time Lord, something he knew Ianto was very aware of.

Then when he got back from his travels, he immediately began fawning all over Gwen, even though she clearly told him that she was engaged to be married. Jack knew he was never going to do anything with her, her hero worship of him absolutely fed his ego and after a year of torture at the hands of the Master and there was definitely a piece of Jack’s wounded pride that thought he deserved being put on a pedestal, even if it was a relatively low one. So, because it made him feel better, he lavished attention on her every chance he got, never once noticing how his actions appeared to the others or how they were affecting Ianto. And if all that wasn’t  bad enough, there were his actions and words during Ianto’s final days on Earth.

But nothing he’d ever done had left as big or deep a scar on Jack’s soul than denying Ianto the opportunity to hear those three little words. He knew in his heart how much Ianto needed to hear him say them aloud and he was wracked with guilt for being so afraid to verbally commit himself to Ianto. Even though he’d promised to remember Ianto for a thousand years – and he fully intended to honour that promise, for a thousand thousand years and beyond – Jack still wished that he could have expressed in words what he truly felt for his beloved Welshman. _‘This will be a new start and I promise you, Ianto, that not a day will go by when you don’t know just how deeply I truly do love you.’_

A new fire appeared in Jack’s blue eyes. “Let’s go rescue my Ianto.”

The Doctor grinned happily; his friend had found purpose again. He didn’t mind admitting that when he’d first seen Jack back in that bar, he’d actually despaired of ever getting through to the captain’s alcohol-soaked brain. _‘Apparently, the way to find the old Jack_ _clearly involves showing_ _him how much_ _he_ _still_ _loves his young Welshman.'_ The Time Lord watched with amused affection as Jack re-acquainted himself with the TARDIS, wandering around the central console, stroking her controls and murmuring to her softly. _‘I do wonder, though, if I should tell Jack that Ianto now has the Rift flowing through him and that he’ll live as long as Jack?’_ The Time Lord thought about it for a moment and then shook his head, _‘nah, I’ll leave that little surprise for Ianto to tell him after Jack has done his daring rescue and swept his Welshman off his feet.’_

******  
“One blasted year! We’ve been trapped here for one blasted year!” Dean grumbled loudly under his breath as the foursome moved cautiously out in to the wild. Four pairs of experienced eyes moved constantly, searching non-stop for those hunting them but it was Ianto that Dean’s eyes kept flickering over to most often. It was a gesture that Castiel and Benny performed as well; something was going on with their favourite Welshman.

Ianto shivered strongly as he felt the power of the Rift stirring in him; all around him he could see the swirls of time: days, hours, minutes and seconds, everything that ever was or ever could happen was flashing before his eyes. It was an awe-inspiring vision that threatened to over-power him, but through it all, a soothing song seemed to wrap itself around him, helping him fight off the blackness that wanted to claim him as its own. Ianto wasn't used to seeing so much time, so many images, all at once and it was becoming a lot more than he could handle.

A gentle voice came to them, carried on the wind, although its message was clearly intended for Ianto. _"Have no fear, my dear one; the one who carries your love in his heart is on his way.'_

_'Jack?'_ Ianto felt his heart skip a beat; could his greatest dream be coming true? Could Jack really coming for him?

_"You will all soon be free of this place and reunited with your loved ones,"_ the voice promised before it faded away.

"Well that was unusual, even for this place? Do voices normally talk to you?" Dean asked turning to look at Ianto with concern clearly written on his face.

Ianto shook his head ignoring the sharp pain the simple action caused. "No, I have to say that was new, even for me! But if it's not a trick then this could be the answer we've been waiting for, we're finally saved."

"Yeah, that's the big question: is it a trick?" Benny was still grumbling under his breath.

That was no trick,” Castiel declared with absolute certainty. “That was the Lady of Time speaking to us. I have long felt that someone was watching over us, a power higher than me and something far older, something quite ancient.” The angel turned his solemn gaze to Ianto, "You carry a piece of her within you, Ianto Jones. I did not understand at first why she allowed you to stay here but now it is clear to me that she had a plan for your heart and soul all along."

Riddled with curiosity, Dean barely waited for his angel to finish speaking before asking, "Do you have any idea what kind of plan she has?"

The angel shook his head firmly looking at Ianto as he spoke. "I am sorry, I do not possess that information; all I know is Ianto, like you, Dean and Sam, has a bigger role to play in this Universe than we are allowed to know.”

Although they remained highly aware of their surroundings, the small group came to a halt, mesmerised by the story the angel was telling.

“There has long been talk of the man made immortal by time's gift and of his bond mate, a man who had would carry his own piece of time within him; legend says that together, they are destined for great things." Castiel’s voice was soft, but his words had a strong effect on one man.

Ianto swallowed hard, the lump in his throat the size of the boulder he now leaned against. Could it be possible? Were he and Jack bond mates? Only in the deepest part of his soul had Ianto ever hoped of something like miraculous. _'Please, Jack, please come and find me,'_ he prayed fervently.

******  
 _"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" That was the only thing that made sense to Sam as he paced a slow path through the bright white before flickering his eyes over to the woman dressed in Victorian fashions. "Um, who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"_

_She smiled at him. "I am Idris and I'm here to bring you a message, my lonely angel; the one you have sought to find so that you can rescue your brother and your friend has now gone to rescue them."_

_For a moment Sam forgot how to breathe as hope blossomed in his chest for the first time in months. "They're alive and coming home soon?" After a year of dead ends Sam had truly begun losing hope at ever finding them again. No matter what they did, what technology they applied or science they explored, they couldn't find a way to open a portal and every lead they had on the mysterious Doctor ended up coming to them too late to be useful. No matter how quickly they scrambled, he was always gone by the time they arrived at his last reported location._

_Cupping Sam's chin with her hand, Idris brushed a gentle kiss across his forehead. "Yes, if all goes as planned they should be home sometime today... or maybe a little later this week." While she loved her Doctor dearly she had to admit that he wasn't usually the most reliable of drivers and no matter how many diplomatic and helpful suggestions she offered he always insisted on doing things his own way. It was so frustrating! "It will only be a little longer, my dear one, I promise."_

_There was something about her touch, her voice, her very presence that soothed and calmed Sam, and he found himself wondering,_ _‘Is this was what a mother's touch feels like?’ It was a comforting thought and he concentrated on committing it to memory. "I believe you."_

_"Good." Pressing one final kiss to Sam's forehead Idris moved away from him. "When the time comes scan for Rift energy it will match the readings of information you received from Toshiko Sato's programs for predicting the Rift. I cannot be certain when we will arrive or where…” and Sam noticed a definite twinkle in her eyes as she said this, “but it shall be soon. Now it is time to wake up."_

Sam's eyes flew wide open as he shot up in bed and dislodged the arm draped around his waist. Wincing, he cast a quick glance down at Tony and was pleased to see that he was still sleeping soundly; Sam would hate to have woken him accidentally. The Avenger’s had been working non-stop lately, and the last few missions had been particularly brutal on his lover and the others, and he didn't want to disturb Tony's much-needed rest. Knowing from past experience that Tony would wake if he left the bed; after sleeping together for nearly ten months neither man could sleep without the other one beside them. Slowly and carefully, Sam shifted position until he could lie comfortably and stare up at the ceiling; a thousand thoughts thundered through his mind, most of them focusing on Dean and Castiel.

Where were they?

Were they all right?

Had they finally acted on their feelings for one another? Because truth be told, he was getting rather tired of the sexual tension burning between the two of them.

And finally the most important question, the one that kept repeating itself over and over again, and the one Sam was dreading the answer to the most, did they think he abandoned them?

Sam’s conscience was unbearably heavy; he couldn't bear it if either Dean or Castiel or worse yet, both thought he’d left them to rot in their own personal hell. _'Just a little longer and then I will see with my own eyes that they are all right and in one piece.'_ Those words would become his mantra for the next few days, right up to the very instant he saw Dean and Castiel standing in front of him, and Sam was convinced that if he repeated it often enough and with enough conviction, he just might make it come true.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Damn it! I knew this was going to well!" Benny snarled viciously as he quickly shoved Ianto behind him. Without warning, a group of blood-thirsty Leviathans came out of the woods with their weapons at the ready, surrounding them from all sides. Benny knew that Ianto was going to be of no help; since the earlier moment in the woods when the Lady of Time had spoken to them, Ianto had slowly been getting paler and weaker.

Time was converging on them and Ianto was feelings it fully effects; at times the young Welshman was barely able to stand without the support from one of the others. Castiel had done what he could to ease Ianto’s suffering, but the power of the Rift that lived within Ianto was simply far too powerful for the angel to control. The only thing he could think of to say that Ianto’s growing distress was a good sign; it meant their rescuers were on their way.

Benny just wished they would hurry their arses up; the Leviathans were drawing ever closer and despite his small team’s fighting spirit, he wasn't sure how long they could hold off their attackers. 

“Let’s see, past experience dictates that good news is usually followed by a horde of monsters standing between me and my goal, so this is right on schedule for me," Dean declared with a mixture of defiance, pride and concern.

"Indeed! It would not feel right if we were not jumped several times by the latest thing wishing us dead," Castiel added as he also took a defensive stance next to Dean and in front of Ianto.

Benny cast a glance at his silent, shivering friend, noting that Ianto was as white as a ghost and that his chest was barely moving as he breathed. _'Whoever you are I hope you hurry the hell up, I'm not sure how much longer he can last.'_

******  
The TARDIS gasped as she was struck by the sheer intensity of Ianto's pain. The Rift within him was reacting to her and she to it and she really hated that she was causing Ianto any kind of pain. Although they had yet to meet, the TARDIS loved Ianto almost as much as she loved her Doctor, Jack and those special companions that had travelled within her blue walls. Even after they were gone, returning to their own lives, they still remained very much a part of her heart.

With her hands tied by the constraints and continuity of time lines, she had been unable to act during the last three years. Instead, she’d been forced to watch as Ianto fought tooth and nail every single day just to survive in Purgatory. She knew that his battles had been made all the more difficult by the fact that his heart had been torn apart by not knowing where he truly lay in Jack's heart. As for Jack, he was drowning in guilt caused by never letting Ianto know just how much he valued, cared for, needed him and loved him. The miraculous time-travelling ship shook herself resolutely; _'No, it is time for their pain to end!'_

"Whoa! Doc, what's happening?" Without warning the floor beneath his feet pitched wildly and Jack barely managed to hang on as the TARDIS took control and began piloting herself, flying through the void in what seemed to be a bit of a hurry.

"I have no idea but wherever she's going she's certainly in a rush... OOF!" The Doctor abruptly lost his balance and landed on his behind. He tried climbing to his feet only for the ship to lurch again as she changed directions; with a sickly smile at Jack, the Time Lord wisely decided to remain seated on the floor.

With his arms wrapped around the closest support strut, Jack stared at the Doctor, the fear gripping his heart clearly etched on his face. Given the urgency of the TARDIS’ flight, all he could do was hope that Ianto was alright.

******

Something was coming, something powerful. Ianto could feel it and from the way Benny and Castiel were tensing and looking around them frantically he knew they could feel it too. Dean griped his knife tightly, prepared to do battle as the Leviathans moved in closer. The four men knew they were going to have a fierce fight on their hands, one they knew they might not emerge from unscathed, when the most unusual sound filled the air.

“What the…” Dean raised his weapon, trying to keep one eye on the Leviathans while still searching for the source of the noise. "Is that grinding?" he asked as his ears identified the sound.

"I do believe it is," Castiel confirmed.

But it was Ianto who knew the owner of the noise and his heart leapt, although he wasn’t sure if it was with fear or joy. He’d heard it twice in his life: the first time was in person at Canary Wharf shortly before the Daleks and Cybermen invaded planet Earth, and the second time was on the CCTV footage of Roald Dahl Plass, when he watched Jack desperately running towards a 1960’s police box.

"It's the TARDIS." Ianto’s voice was flat and completely without emotion, which had his companions glancing at him curiously.

Before anyone could ask what a TARDIS was, something began fading in and out around them, and a strange structure started surrounding the men. Forgetting about the danger posed by the advancing Leviathans, they watched in bewilderment and awe as the most unusual room materialised around them. As things solidified, Benny, Dean and Sam found their eyes glued to the pulsing core of the centre console.

But Ianto's eyes were drawn to the one man he had longed to see for the last three years. There was nothing in the Universe that could have his dragged eyes away from the man becoming more and more solid with each passing moment. Within a matter of seconds, Ianto found himself face-to-face with someone he never thought he would see again. Silence reigned supreme until finally, "Jack." It was a mere whisper, a fervent prayer.

For a moment Jack was sure he had at last achieved his final death, that he’d been granted entrance to the afterlife and there, waiting for him, was the one man he had loved and could never forget. " _Ianto_ ," the name was torn from Jack's lips in a desperate sob as he surged forward and wrapped himself around Ianto. Ignoring everyone else, tears fell from two pairs of blue eyes as their lips met in a soul-searing kiss.

"I'm so sorry, Ianto!” Jack’s voice cracked with a broken sob. “I’m sorry that I ever made you doubt your place in my heart! I should have made sure every day that you knew just how much I love you and that I never wanted anyone else," Jack whispered when they broke the kiss. “I love you, Ianto, I love you so much.”

Gently brushing the tears from his lover’s cheeks, Ianto rested his forehead against Jack's. "I love you too, Cariad, and I'm sorry as well. I should have found the strength to talk to you, to tell you how I felt and what I needed. You’re not the only one to blame and I don't want you to think you have to carry the guilt alone.” Ianto pulled back just far enough to look Jack in the eye. “We are both at fault for not talking about our relationship."

Humbled by Ianto’s word, Jack tightened his hold on his beloved Welshman but then frowned as he felt Ianto shudder violently in his arms. The immortal drew back and searched Ianto’s face, growing concerned when he saw how pale the younger man was looking. "Yan, what's wrong?" Tenderly Jack stroked Ianto's cheek, cherishing the way he leaned into his touch.

The Doctor looked up from studying the monitor. "The Rift inside of Ianto is reacting to the TARDIS’ energy. He should be all right, but I think it would be wise if your young man rested." He spoke in such a firm tone that Jack responded immediately.

"Right!" Not caring about the fight Ianto was about to put up, Jack hefted Ianto into his arms bridal-style and he couldn't contain his hiss of dismay at how light he was to hold. "Into bed, Mr Jones, and then I’ll be getting some food into you. No arguments." Jack glared at his soon-to-be once again lover, daring him to protest.

Anything Ianto might have said was forgotten as his jaw snapped shut; one look at the sheer determination in Jack's eyes and he knew that this was a battle he would not win. Besides, after four years of subsistence living, sleeping rough and running for his life, it was going to feel really nice to be taken care of for a change. Snuggling deeper into Jack's strong arms, Ianto took a deep breath of the never forgotten 51st century pheromones and whispered against his neck, "You win… this time."

For the first time in nearly four years Jack felt whole and complete once again. _'I am never losing you again,'_ Jack vowed silently as he and Ianto left the console room, neither man noticing the amused looks of triumph and satisfaction from the others.

Knowing what was to come, the Doctor shook his head as he looked to the ceiling imploringly, "I do hope you’ll make sure they have a room far, far away from the rest of us."

Having been thoroughly ignored ever since the TARDIS had solidified around them, Ianto’s three companions had remained quiet, although they remained prepared for anything. They’d witnessed the emotional reunion between Ianto and the man they’d heard so much about and now they were watching a tall thin man with wild hair carrying on a conversation with his invisible friend. The look on Dean’s face clearly said he thought the man was crazy.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and he strode over to stand in front of the Doctor. "Right! If you’re done talking to your ship can you take me to see my brother?"

Instead of responding, the Doctor merely bounced over to the control console and began flipping switches, twirling dials and pulling levers. "You might want to hang on,” he offered helpfully, “as our next stop is the SHIELD Helicarrier."

"SHIELD? Why the hell would Sammy be on the...." Dean was cut off as the TARDIS gave a violent jerk and he went stumbling back, arms flailing as he tried to catch his balance on the ship’s pitching floor. Fortunately and as always, Castiel was ready and waiting to save him and Dean fell right into the angel’s out-stretched arms. With a hastily whispered “thank you”, the hunter straightened himself, grumbling under his breath when he noticed that Castiel and Benny had both managed to keep their balance without difficulty.

Lurking behind the console, the Doctor grinned smugly to himself as he ran an appreciative hand across his TARDIS’ control panel; his beloved ship did not take attitude from _anyone_.

*****  
"What the hell is that noise?" Fury demanded as a loud grinding noise suddenly filled the air, causing everyone who was on the SHIELD Helicarrier’s bridge to stop what they were doing. Gathering in groups of two and three, poised and ready for any attacker, the crew watched in fascinated stillness as a 1960's blue police box appeared in the middle of the bridge. Fury arched an eyebrow and felt rather than saw Coulson come and stand at his shoulder. That better not be the latest threat," he grumbled under his breath.

Sam, on the other hand, could only stare in disbelief. He would know that ship _anywhere_ the months of research he’d done over the last year, studying every scrap of information and every photo he could get his hands on. "That's the Doctor's ship!" he said reverently.

Coulson raised an eyebrow as everyone around him continued to stare. "Interesting; should I alert the team, sir?" Coulson asked his boss.

Fury nodded his head. "Do it, but warn Stark; I do not him running in here with guns blazing and tell Linda that as well. This is not a time to shoot first and ask questions later." Fury knew how protective Linda was over Sam; on more than one mission she’d disregarded protocol and had gone in guns blazing when Sam had been in danger. Fury shook his head ruefully; Linda Tran was the ultimate definition of a mother bear protecting her cub.

The others arrived within minutes of being alerted, and while they had their weapons out, they were held down at their sides, even Tony’s. Sam barely even noticed when Tony, Linda and Kevin joined him and actually started slightly when Linda rested a comforting hand on his arm.

"Sammy, are you alright?" she asked quietly. She could feel the tension radiating from Sam’s arm as he stared anxiously at the box. They had spent many an evening discussing his research into the Doctor, trying to determine his whereabouts and the best way to contact him.

"Do I have some ass to kick?" Tony demanded, glaring at the TARDIS suspiciously. "Seriously, a police box? Who travels through time in a police box?"

Sam paid the volatile man no heed; he could hardly breathe as the doors suddenly swung open and he went weak in the knees as he saw the first person to walk out was someone he’d been so afraid that he would never see again. "Dean?" he whispered in disbelief, his voice croaking with emotion.

Choking up himself, Dean grinned self-consciously at his baby brother, "Hey, Sammy! Whatcha doing?”

The assembled group on the bridge held their breath, waiting to see what would happen and they weren’t disappointed. The next moment both men were moving as fast as they could toward one another and when they met, they wrapped their arms around each other in a tight hold. They were both afraid if they let the other one go they would disappear before their very eyes.

For the time being, Ianto, Jack and the Doctor had chosen to stay inside the TARDIS where Ianto was recovering from his bout of time sickness. Benny and Castiel had also come out of the ship, and they stood back as they watched the brothers reunite after a year apart. Having studied the Doctor closely during their journey, Benny figured they weren't going to stick around for very long, and he didn’t want to get very far from the TARDIS. The last thing he wanted was to be accidentally left behind with SHIELD.

Almost against his will a smile spread across Tony's face as he watched  
his boyfriend reunite with his brother. There had been several nights when he’d been woken by Sam’s sobs and he’d held his hunter in his arms while he cried heart-brokenly. Now Tony’s eyes softened a great deal as he saw the over-joyed smile that graced Sam's face as he was reunited with his missing brother. Turning to the man next to him, Tony said, "Thor, buddy, I think you and your kin should take some lessons from these two. After all, most family reunions do not involve alien invasions and plots to take over the world."

"Indeed,” the Norse god nodded solemnly. “Sam and his brother could provide useful info on how to do family reunions." Thor had to agree that his friend Sam’s reunion with his brother was going far, far better than his own.

"I can't believe you’re here!” Tears slipped down Sam’s face as he pushed his brother back and looked at him closely. “I searched for you, Dean; I never stopped looking for way to rescue you and Castiel. You have to believe me, please!" Sam pleaded with him urgently and his grip on Dean’s tightened painfully.

"I do, Sammy, I do!" Dean could hear the desperation in Sam's voice as well as the relief and the happiness in his baby brother's eyes as he answered. Flicking his gaze over Sam's shoulder at the men and women watching them, it didn't escape his notice that one face in particular wore a dark glare that was cast directly at him. His brain instantly made the connection and he punched his brother in the arm. "Dude! Are you sleeping with Iron Man?" There was a combination of pride, surprise and even a tiny bit of jealousy in his words.

Sam shifted uncomfortably and rubbed his sore arm as a faint blush painted his cheeks. "Maybe... Are you finally sleeping with Castiel?"

"Indeed he is," Castiel spoke up quietly; he was tempted to join his young hunter, but decided he’d rather remain on the outer ring, watching everything and everyone around them.

Draping his arm around his brother’s shoulders, Dean relished the man’s closeness. "We have a lot to talk about," he said as he raised his eyebrow and he looked pointedly between Sam and Tony.

Sam smiled brightly and his heart filled with relief; for the first time in over a year his smile reached his eyes. His brother was home he didn’t care what Dean wanted, he’d go along with it just so they’d spend time together. "Yeah, we do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

While the long-awaited family reunion was happening on the Helicarrier’s bridge, another was taking place deep within the TARDIS. Curled up next to Ianto under a soft duvet, Jack was slowly stroking his hair, letting the silky strands slide through his fingers. 

As they talked about everything that they’d  said when they had the chance, they studied one another, seeing the changes four years had wrought. As far as Jack was concerned, Ianto was mere skin and bones, and there were several new scars acquired during his battles in Purgatory. To others, Jack appeared totally untouched by the passage of time, but not to Ianto’s knowing eyes. He spotted three silvery-white hairs mixed in among Jack’s dark locks, and there were actually several new lines on Jack’s face, around his eyes and mouth.

"Well it’s a few years late, but I must admit it's nice to see the two of you finally talking openly and honestly," a long-missed female voice spoke up, her happiness obvious.

Two sets of blue eyes were drawn to the figure perched on the foot of their bed."Tosh?" Ianto shook his head, wondering if maybe he really had gone insane from his time in Purgatory if he was seeing his best friend sitting just two short feet from him. Truly worried, he turned to Jack for reassurance only to see the immortal wearing the same stunned look that he was sure was on his own face.

Toshiko Sato smiled sweetly at Ianto. "You're not insane, Ianto, I'm really here."

" _How?_ " Jack asked in a voice choked with emotion; the death of his team was a burden he carried heavily in his heart.

"I'm a guardian angel, yours, in fact." Tears welled up in Tosh's eyes. "Oh, you have no idea how much I wished I could have reunited the two of you sooner but I couldn't and I didn't know why! It was so important for Ianto to be in Purgatory and for him to befriend Dean, Castiel and Benny just as it was important for Sam to become a member of SHIELD. Something big is coming, a war in which you will all play key roles."

Ianto didn’t really hear the last part of Tosh’s announcement; there was only one thing on his mind. "Are you happy, Tosh?" That was all Ianto wanted, for his best friend to be happy.

"Yes, I am.” There was a glowing light in Tosh eyes that they’d never seen during her too-short life. “I have Balthazar, another angel, at my side. He's almost as big as a flirt as you are, Jack, but I love him anyway."

"What about Owen? Will we see him?" Jack almost didn’t ask, he was dreading the answer.

Tosh's gaze turned wistful. "I'm afraid not for a while; Owen is in heaven. He’s been reunited with Katie and they’re living the life that alien parasite robbed them of in this world. You won't see him till your finally deaths, both of your final deaths, which are a long way off. I wish I could stay so much longer but I can't; Balthazar is masking my presence as much as he can, but his power isn’t endless." Leaning forward Tosh wrapped her arms around both of them, hugging them to her tightly. "You need to let go of your guilt, Jack, ***** first you rescued me from that UNIT prison cell and then you showed me things I could only have dreamed of. All I ask is for the two of you to please take good care of one another. Remember, I’ll be watching!" Tosh pressed a kiss to both their cheeks and then she was gone, vanishing as quickly and quietly as she had appeared, but her final whispered warning lingered in their ears.

_"Beware of the angel and demon tablets; they are not what they seem."_

******  
Somehow Tony found that he and Darcy had been roped in to act as tour guides for Dean, Castiel and Benny; the only thing that made the task bearable was having Sam trudging along with him. Fury didn’t care who the newcomers were, they were not wandering around _his_ Helicarrier unsupervised. The tick that appeared in Fury’s jaw when he realised that for some mysterious reason, only Sam, Tony and Darcy were available for such a mission… well, that sight made the inconvenience well worth it in Tony’s mind.

When the subject of a tour had been raised, Natasha had been the first to offer up an excuse as to why she couldn’t play babysitter. She informed everyone in her firmest ‘don’t-you-even-think-of-messing-with-me’ voice that she had a lunch date with Pepper and even Fury knew better to interfere; he didn’t relish the idea of having the two redheads mad at him. He rather liked having his anatomy intact, thank you very much.

The idea of having Clint babysit produced an all-out and resounding ‘No!’ and that ruled out Coulson as well, because everyone knew that wherever Coulson went Clint was right behind him.

Steve and Bruce had become involved in a spirited and very informative talk with the mysterious Doctor and the trio was tucked up in a corner of the bridge, ignoring everyone else around them. The Time Lord was more than happy to fill Steve in on his visits to the 1940’s, and it turned out that they actually had met several of the same people. As for Bruce, he was completely in awe of the TARDIS and everything she represented, and the Doctor was happy to talk about the science involved with her.

The Doctor had declined the offer of a tour once he’d seen who was conducting it. He hadn’t taken kindly to Tony’s rude comments about the TARDIS’ appearance and he refused to talk to him at all, even though Tony had dozens of questions to ask about his travels.

Tony wasn’t pouting about it, he really wasn’t. There was definitely some other reason his lower lip was stuck out and his arms were crossed across his chest as he stared at the three men in the corner, laughing and talking as if they’d been friends for years.

Thor was off somewhere being soppy with Jane and general consensus of the group was that the further away the couple were the better.

So that was how Tony found himself seated across the table from Dean Winchester, who was looking like the world’s most overly-protective big brother. They had some time alone together while the others were getting their own food.

Tony Stark had faced down his fair share of overly-protective siblings before and he’d always come out unscathed, but none of them seemed as dangerous as Dean. Given the expert and effortless way the hunter was handling his steak knife Tony knew that he was right to be wary, not that he would ever tell Dean that.

"So is this the part where you threaten me? Because Momma Tran already took care of that." Tony shivered as he recalled Linda going into explicit detail regarding exactly what she would do to him if he ever hurt Sam; he still couldn't look at spoons the same way, which actually made eating cereal a tad difficult.

"Sammy's my baby brother and yeah, we've had our differences but that still doesn't change the fact that I would kill for him. I have  never seen Sam look at anyone the way he looks at you, not even Jess. So if you hurt him in any way, I will personally make sure you are hand-delivered straight to hell and once they learn that you are the lover of a _Winchester_ , well trust me when I say it will be open season on your ass.” Dean’s voice remained perfectly calm as he played with the knife between his fingers, but when he looked up, there was a deadly serious look in his eyes. “Do we have an understanding?

There was a witty but sarcastic comment sitting right on the tip of Tony’s tongue and he really wanted to say _something_ to Dean but he knew how much Dean meant to Sam and he didn’t want to drive a wedge between himself and his lover’s brother. Even though he hadn’t said it out loud to anyone, not even himself, Tony believed in his heart that Sam was it, he was his soul mate and it wouldn’t do any good to make an enemy out of big brother.

“Crystal clear,” Tony smiled. “I know you’ve heard of my reputation and I will admit that most of everything you’ve read about me in the tabloids is true. The closest I’ve ever come to being in love was with Pepper but what I felt for her was _nothing_ compared to what I feel for Sam. I would sacrifice everything to see him happy and I would give my life to keep him safe. I love him.” 

“Good to know. But in case you ever think about hurting him just remember I make a living out of making bodies disappear.” Dean grinned maniacally as he stabbed his steak with his fork and slid the razor-sharp blade of his knife through it, cutting it easily.

“Understood.” Even though it went against his snarky nature, Tony knew he would hold off annoying Dean… for now.

Their conversation was at an end anyway, so as Sam and Castiel re-joined them, they all four shared bright welcoming smiles; there was no hint of the tension that had been there just moments before. It warmed Tony’s heart when Sam slid into the seat next to him and rested a warm hand on his thigh and gave his lover a firm squeeze. “Have you finished threatening him yet?” Sam bluntly asked his brother.

“For now, yeah, but stuff may come up later, you know?” A very wolfish grin graced Dean’s face, “gotta look after my baby brother after all,” and Dean’s gaze softened as he smiled at his brother.

Anything else they were going to say was cut off as Benny and Darcy joined them and it didn’t escape anyone’s notice that Benny’s ear was being talked off by Darcy. She had taken it upon herself to explain today’s modern culture to the vampire, everything from current clothing styles to who was hot on the big screen to where the best place was to eat. _‘Apparently she doesn’t realise that I don’t eat food,’_ was Benny’s unspoken response to her last topic. He wasn't sure what to make of Darcy, she was different, that was for sure, and she clearly wasn’t afraid of his fangs or of what he was. In fact, she seemed to think that his being a vampire was rather hot although she did tell him that she was glad he didn't glitter, whatever _that_ meant.

Benny shot a suspicious glare at Tony, “He all taken care of?” he asked Dean. Benny may not know Sam personally but from the way Dean had talked about him over the last year, he felt like he did and he wanted to make sure that Sam’s boyfriend knew just what would happen to him if he hurt the youngest Winchester in any way.

Holding up Tony’s hand clasped in his, the hunter nodded happily. “Yep, and that just leaves Jack for us to talk to and I’ll leave that to you.” Dean was looking forward to seeing what the vampire said and did to Jack; it was sure to be a talk to remember.

******  
Jack didn’t want to leave the TARDIS for a moment and with her help, he and Ianto were able to block out the rest of the world. But they both knew their little corner of paradise couldn’t last forever. Several hours later, it was Ianto who finally broached the elephant in the room, “Are you going back to Torchwood?”

But Jack could hear the unasked question, “Are you going back to Gwen?” and he knew his Welshman still had fears that Jack would eventually fall into Gwen’s bed and even though it hurt that Ianto still doubted him, Jack couldn’t blame him given his track record.

“Torchwood is over with, Yan, and there is nothing for me to go back to or for.” Jack cupped Ianto’s chin and lifted his bowed head, “ _Nothing_. I have everything I need right here in front of me. You are my home, Ianto, and you’re the only thing that matters to me anymore. If you’ll let me, I will spend the rest of our lives together proving that you are the _only_ one I want. Ple…”

A gentle kiss pressed against his lips put an end to Jack’s fervent pleading; it was a kiss that melted the immortal into a pile of goo in Ianto’s arms. When it ended and the two men separated enough to look at each other again, Ianto’s blue eyes were shining with love. “I’m sorry for letting my doubts have power over me again, Cariad; it’s just that I can’t help but recall the way you looked at Gwen and how open you were with your feelings for her. I always felt like I had to fight for every ounce of affection I was lucky enough to receive, especially when so many times it seemed like you were right back at Gwen’s side the moment we were finished.”

Knowing that what Ianto said was true, Jack felt like a complete heel when he saw the intense pain showing so clearly in Ianto’s eyes and he knew it was time for him to stop being a coward and actually talk about his feelings. He knew he owed his beloved Welshman the truth and nothing less; drawing in a deep calming breath, Jack took Ianto’s hands in his and looked him straight in the eye. “Ianto, I’ve been a bloody fool. I didn’t see how much my careless actions were hurting you, and worse, the thought never even crossed my mind.”

Ianto opened his mouth to protest but Jack silenced him with chaste kiss. With a bright twinkle in his eyes, Ianto nodded understandingly and drew his fingers across his lips, miming a zipper being closed. The action earned him a smile and another kiss, although this one contained far more promise than the previous one.

“Let me make this very clear: I _never_ wanted Gwen, not like that; she represented a taste of normal life that I could never have and her child-like hero worship of me especially After the year of torture I endured at the hands of the Master it was something I felt like I deserved, something I’d earned.”

Remembering how broken and vulnerable Jack had been when he’d returned from his time away, Ianto reached out and stroked his hand along the side of Jack’s head. Smiling gratefully, Jack leaned into the touch, feeling Ianto’s love for him warm his heart.

“I was afraid of how you made me feel – I was afraid _because_ you made me feel – and the fact that someday I would lose you to death just made things all the more real, too real, in fact, so I pushed you away. You had the power to hurt me – you still do –so like a fool, I focused all my attention on the one person who couldn’t. I admit it, I do love Gwen but _only_ in the way I loved Tosh and Owen; they’re like siblings I never had. But Ianto, please believe me, Yan, I never loved her in the way that I love you.”

With his heart singing with joy, Ianto knew that he would never get tired of hearing those words from Jack. “I love you too, Jack.  I always have and I always will. Thinking about you, remembering all the good times we shared, that was what kept me fighting for the last four years, even though I never thought I’d see you again.”

Jack’s heart gave a painful lurch; those were the same memories that had kept him sane during his year of captivity, and he suddenly had a clearer vision of what Ianto had been through.

Ianto put his hands on either side of Jack’s face and peered deeply into his eyes, looking in to his very soul. “I think it’s time for a fresh start, Jack; it’s time to put the past in the past for us to leave our old wounds behind us.”

That was all Jack wanted, a fresh start with Ianto. “That sounds wonderful,” he whispered. Jack knew that a fresh start wouldn’t include travelling with the Doctor, not just yet anyway. It wouldn’t be a fresh start if it included the Time Lord, the same man Jack had left Ianto behind for, _twice,_ in orderto travel the Universe. Maybe someday, but not for a while; for now all Jack wanted to focus on was building a life with Ianto and then, when Ianto had absolutely no doubts about the sincerity and depth of his love then Jack would think about broaching the subject of going with the Doctor.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**  
  
Nick Fury studied the man he called his right eye. “So you think they would be a good fit for SHIELD?”

Coulson quickly nodded his head. “It’s the best solution for everyone. Sam will not willingly be separated from his brother or his angel so soon after finding him again, and if Winchester leaves then there’s no doubt that Stark and Linda would follow him. Plus, having an angel and a vampire on the team would be a great help on a lot of our missions, as would having second hunter. And since we’re dealing with aliens now as well our usual enemies, we could really use the experience of Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones. After all the time they spent in Cardiff dealing with all the aliens and artefacts that came through that Rift, their knowledge is unmatched and would be a great help.” A knowing look entered Coulson’s eyes; “Also, considering the fact that you tried to lure Mr Jones away several times before only to be blocked by Captain Harkness, it seems like a total win for you, sir.”

Fury had to admit that Coulson had a damned good point; he’d wanted Jones as an agent of SHIELD for the longest time. The young Welshman was a junior Coulson and anyone who could keep Jack in line was a true gem, one he knew he absolutely had to have if Harkness was going to be working for him. “As long as Jones keeps Harkness under control and far away from me, I’m willing to give them a chance.”

Coulson was pleased and it showed in both his bright smile and in the quick kiss he pressed to the top of Fury’s head. He could always use someone like Ianto to help keep the Avengers in line; if the rumours were true about his coffee, he’d be running SHIELD within a week having used his miracle brew to make the Avengers his loyal servants.

******  
The Doctor knew that Jack and Ianto wouldn’t be travelling with him even before Jack looked up at him with sad but determined eyes. In the past Jack had always chosen the Doctor over Ianto and that had damaged their relationship, a fact that the Time Lord wasn’t overly proud of. This time the Doctor was pleased to see that Jack was making the right choice; he was rather fond of Janto, as he’d jokingly dubbed them, and he hoped they would have a long and happy future together filled with many, many children. _‘Makes me wonder if I should mention the little gift the Rift has given Ianto? Nah, it’ll be more fun to see the expression on Jack’s face when he figures it out!’_ The Doctor barely stopped himself from bouncing with joy; he couldn’t wait for the first batch of Janto children to come.

“Doc, I won’t be travelling with you. Ianto and I are staying on Earth for the time being,” Jack calmly informed the Time Lord and he was actually amazed at how easy it was to say 'no' for a change.

The Doctor just grinned knowingly, making Jack wonder just what the Time Lord was up to. “I understand, Jack, someday when the time is right the TARDIS and I look forward to having you and your young Welshman as our companions. Take good care of him and yourself, Jack.”

Giving into his impulse Jack hugged the Doctor tightly, “Thank you for giving him back to me, Doc,” the immortal whispered softly in the Doctor’s ear, “You have no idea how much he means to me.”

Peeking over the immortal’s shoulder, the Doctor saw Ianto’s tender smile as he returned Jack’s hug. “I understand more than you know, Jack, and I’ll be waiting for the invitation to the wedding.”

Pulling back from the Doctor and reaching out to take Ianto’s hand in his, Jack smiled at Ianto. “Count on it, Doc, after all, I’ll need my best man at my side!” The delighted blush that appeared on Ianto’s cheeks made Jack’s smile grow and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would indeed ask his beloved Welshman to marry him.

******  
Standing side-by-side on the deck of the Helicarrier, not speaking but just enjoying finally being reunited, Sam and Dean stared up at the night sky, marvelling at the bright swath of light known as the Milky Way. It had been a long time since Dean had been able to see stars and he shivered at the memory of a time when he feared he might never see them again.

“So, now what do we do?” Sam asked softly, breaking the companionable silence.

Dean knew that over the past year Sam had made himself a home and found a new family within SHIELD and with the Avengers and he wasn’t about to rob him of that. But at the same time he didn’t want to be apart from his baby brother just yet, in fact, not for a long time to come. “I’m not sure but I do know that I’m not going to make you give up SHIELD; you’re happy here and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

“I may have the solution to your problems.”

The brothers whirled around to see Coulson standing there with Jack, Ianto, Castiel and Benny standing behind him, and once he knew he had their attention Coulson addressed everyone, “I would like to offer you all positions with SHIELD.”

Hope flaring brightly in his eyes Sam turned his gaze onto his brother. “Dean, I know it’s always been just us or us with dad and Bobby, and now we have Castiel, but we don’t have to keep doing this alone.”

For a moment, Dean became lost in thought, wondering different their life would have been if they’d had help. First of all, he and Sam would have probably have died less, and maybe neither one of them would have ended up in hell but it was those actions had led him to meeting Castiel. As usual, there was some good in all the horrible times and some bad in the best of times.

Dean knew it would take a while for him to trust the Avengers and the SHIELD agents as much as his brother did, but for Sam he was willing to give it a try. Looking first at Sam and then at Coulson, he announced, “Sounds like fun, sign me up.”

“I am in as well,” Castiel quickly agreed. He was not about to let his human and Sam out of his sight, not for a very long time.

Benny shrugged his shoulders. “I already promised Darcy that I’d allow her to educate me on everything I need to know to survive in this day and age, plus it gives me something to do, so yeah, I’m in.”

It took a lot of effort on Dean’s part not to grin knowingly at the vampire and he wondered if he had any clue that Darcy was staking a claim on him. Dean had to admit that from what he’d seen of the feisty woman, she would be a good match for Benny.

From the silent, loving looks which actually spoke volumes being exchanged between Jack and Ianto – and no one had missed their tightly joined hands – it was clear the two men were hard at work on their relationship, which reminded Benny that he still needed to have a private little talk with Jack about what would happen if he hurt Ianto again. They all watched the silent conversation happening between the two men for several minutes before Ianto turned and favoured Coulson with a soft smile. “We’re in as well.”

The corners of Coulson’s eyes crinkled up in what those who didn’t know him assumed was his version of a smile. “Wonderful, I look forward to tasting your coffee, Mr Jones; it’s supposed to be the stuff of legends.”

Hearing that magic word, Jack moaned loudly; it had been too long since he’d last drunk Ianto’s coffee and now that the idea was planted in his mind, he couldn’t wait any longer. Turning sad, pleading eyes onto his lover, Jack brought his hands up to his chest in a praying gesture.

With a fondly indulgent smile, Ianto rolled his eyes. “Come along, Cariad, let’s see what they have here for beans and a coffee machine and if it meets my approval I’ll make you all a cup.”

Perking right up Jack clapped his hands with child-like joy before grabbing hold of Ianto’s arm and dragging the amused man back into the Helicarrier. The rest of the group was hard-pressed to follow, considering the formidable pace that Jack set. Dean brought up the rear and as he hurried along, he shook his head in amusement, wondering if how this was going to be his life from now on, being one of the pack. It didn’t matter, though, he couldn’t deny how much he was enjoying the feeling of belonging.

It was a new beginning for all of them, one that he planned to make the most of because given his past experience, the peace never lasted long.

******

Dean had no idea how right he was. Hidden away from prying eyes two seemingly innocent tablets lay in front of a man, one who could easily read and interpret them. A maniacal grin wreathed his handsome face as his fingers began tapping out a beat only he could hear on the smooth table beneath them.

“I’ll let you enjoy your peace for now because soon it will be my turn to play with you once again.”

The End?


End file.
